Highland Phantom
by romanianphantom
Summary: From the first glance, Princess Christine was fascinated by him, even if he was a Scottish prisoner. After helping him escape, she only had the memory of their kiss left. Now 10 years later, she's back in Scotland. During an attack, she is taken hostage by the rebels and is reunited with the man she freed years ago...the most feared man in England, Erik 'the Phantom' Boyd.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello everyone! So I am starting a new story here and a quick background on it. I had started reading _The Highland Guard_ series and fell in love it. So I decided to base this story around that series, but make it with POTO characters. It's set in Scotland and England, medieval times. I'm not really sure how they spoke back then, but I'll try my best to make them speak like that. Now, there will be some Gaelic spoken in this story and as I did in _Angle of Darkness,_ I will have the words translated at the bottom of the chapter. **

**I really hope you guys enjoy this story and I know, it may start off a little slow, but trust me, interesting chapters are to come.**

Chapter One: First Glance

The long carriage ride finally came to a halt, the sound of a man's voice woke her up for the dream. Fluttering her eyes open, she quickly sat up in the seat and moved to the window to look outside. Her brown orbits followed the stone wall until her eyes couldn't look anymore. To her, the walls looked like they stretched forever. As the carriage door opened, she could hear a familiar voice. The moment the door opened, she jumped out and ran over to the man whose arms were waiting for her.

"My princess!" A giggle left her mouth as his arms wrapped around her. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too!" The men and few women around stood there, smiling at the reunion. Letting her go, he walked her to the castle.

"Welcome to castle Kilchurn." He said as the doors opened. Her eyes looked all around as they made their way through the stone corridors. She noticed torn pieces of fabric on the walls, as if someone had torn something down off the stone walls. She followed her father until they reached a large room which was the great hall. Tables were covered with plates of food and she could hear her stomach growling. "I assumed you would be hungry." She nodded as she sat down, fitting the skirt of her dress. Tables soon filled with people as they started to eat. Looking around, she knew most of the men were soldiers that stayed to guard the castle. There were some that helped with the work around the castle, as well as some women. It was far from what she was used to at Court.

As the meal continued, she made conversation with her father and others at their table. Though a few times, she sat and listened to the men talk about the war. England and Scotland had been at war for a few years now. Scotland wanted independence from England and at first, it was very peaceful. However, things quickly changed and armies were drawn. As much as she wanted her father to stay with her in England, she knew he had to go. Sometimes, being the King of England had its downside. She hadn't seen her father in two years, two years too long.

"Have the Scots send word back?" A gentleman asked her father. "I'm sure they would want their fine soldier back." Her head slightly tilted as she continued to listen in.

"No word." Gustave answered, taking a sip of his wine.

"Is the prisoner guarded well?" Another man asked.

"Yes, there are five men watching him well. Though, he had not yet tried to escape." The other men seemed satisfied. She began to wonder who this soldier was that they were talking about. Whoever this soldier was, it satisfied her father that he was here. After all, Kilchurn Castle is now a prison for Scottish rebels.

"Let's hope this brings Bruce to a surrender." A man said. Bruce…she had heard of him. He was the Scottish king, well the rebel Scottish king. She had read that he had raised an army to fight against the English and had a special army, a group of highly trained soldiers. Though they were just rumors spread around London about these soldiers, she had always loved hearing the stories about them. "The head Phantom, what a prize!" That's what they were called, Bruce's Phantoms.

"Gentlemen, please. May I remind you that my daughter is at the table with us tonight." The men looked at the girl sitting next to her father.

"Oh please, don't stop on my account. I am quite fascinated by all the stories." She glanced at her father. "May I ask who this soldier is that you are talking about?" She asked him.

"I think the young lady should see herself." A man suggested. Gustave looked from her daughter to the man and back to her daughter.

"May I, father?" Her face lighted up, hoping her father would let her. He thought for a moment, wondering if it would be safe. He had guards watching him and they would be up on the balcony so she would be safe.

"Alright." She smiled as he rose from his chair. People stopped and rose from their seats as well. "My daughter wishes to pay a visit to the prisoners. Please, continue your supper." He announced as he took her hand and they walked out of the great hall. The men from their table followed, along with a number of guards and soldiers. Though she got used to the personal guards, she often found it quite annoying to always being followed and watched.

They soon reached the balcony that overlooked the courtyard where the prisoners were kept. Though they had cells for sleeping at night, they spent most of their days outside. Gustave led her to the railing to look out. Her eyes widen as she looked upon the prisoners. They weren't what she thought they were. She had seen prisoners back in London before; skin and bones. These prisoners were far from skin and bones, they still had muscle to them. Some were on the leaner side than others, but these prisoners looked like they were living fine in this prison. As she looked at the prisoners, Gustave searched the group for one in particular. When he found him, he tapped his daughter's arm. Looking up at him, he pointed towards the soldier. Her eyes followed the hidden pathway to the soldier who's back was turned to them. She could see much, just a strong back and the plaid kilt that he wore. From the distance, she could tell what color his hair was, all she could tell was that it was dark.

"That is him." Her eyes watched as he walked over to a large boulder that prisoners often used as something to sit on or sometimes lay. Her eyes widen in astonishment as he lifted the boulder and carried it a few steps before dropping it on the ground.

"Wow…" That was all she could say after watching that. She had never seen anyone do that before. Now she understood why her father wanted him as a prisoner. He could be a real threat as a soldier.

"Come, Christine." Her father wanted to her head back in. As much as she didn't want to, she obeyed. As she turned, she took one last glance at the prisoner. A slight gasp left her mouth as she noticed he was staring at her. Those pair of eyes watched her as she disappeared back into the castle.

 **So I can imagine you guys can guess who the prisoner is that they are talking about. And yes, CHristine is a princess while Gustave is king.**

 **Remember, this is fiction (it aint true)**

 **Reviews are welcome : )**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello everyone. I hope you all had a good weekend. I am so sorry for the delay, I was away for a wedding and then had to catch up in school work. But I am back and will continue with the stories. Again, apologizing for any grammar or spelling mistakes. I've said it before, I'm not the best with English grammar/spelling but am working on it. Okay enough from me now since my laptop is dying and I want to upload this chapter before it dies (and no the charger is not with me)**

 **Hope you enjoy the chapter.**

Chapter Two: Food

Rays of light sneaked inside the stone room shining on the sleeping prisoner. His back against the slap of stone that was used as a bed, though he found sleeping on the ground was more comfortable. The light shined in his face, its warmth stirring him from his slumber. Groaning as his body turned onto its side, he could feel his ribs pressed against the stone. Mumbling a few words, he forced himself to sit. Dry rough hands ran rubbed his eyes, trying to wake up. Hearing movement outside, he knew the guards were up to wake the prisoners. Standing, he grabbed his plaid and put it on, making sure he was covered before standing by the door. A few minutes later and the door opened, letting the sun shine on him. His head looked away as his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness.

"Let's go." One of the guards ordered. Giving him a glare, he could see the guard step back a little. He might be a prisoner now, but he still was feared by everyone. He followed the row of prisoners as they walked from their cells to a small shaded area where the prison cook was making their breakfast. One by one, the prisoners got their bread and a drink. It wasn't much for breakfast, but many of them were used it. Sitting down on a boulder, he tore the bread in half. Staring at the broken piece, he sighed as he took a bite of it. Though dry, it would be the only food he will get for a while.

Later during the day, the sun bared down on the prisoners. Summer in Scotland can be hot and it was hot. There wasn't much shade for them, but he wasn't going to complain. He was used to being out in the hot sun so this wasn't a problem. However, it was a problem for some other prisoners at the castle. Though the guards did provide water for them, they still had to be outside all day and it wouldn't be long until some of the prisoners would eventually die because of the heat. Leaning his head back against the stone wall, he closed his eyes as his hearing heighten. Conversations between prisoners about their lives back home, keys on the belts of guards clanging together as they moved through the corridors. He let out a long sigh as the sun kept his skin warm. It was a calm day for once, usually a fight between prisoners breaks out and the guards have to separate them. However, no fight broke out…not yet at least.

The quietness of the prison wasn't what Christine expected. She had always thought prisons were loud from the prisoners shouting and fighting. Visiting the Tower of London a few times gave her an idea of prison life, but here in Scotland, it was different. She liked it though. As she flipped the page of her book, she let out a content sigh.

"I see you're enjoying the quietness." A voice startled her and her eyes looked up to see her father coming into the room. "Apologies, I did not mean to scare you."

"Is it normally this quiet here?" She asked him as she set her book down. He shook his head as he sat in a chair next to hers.

"Some days are quieter than others, but it's strange how quiet it is today." She only nodded. "Are you hungry? The cook is about to make the midday meal." Nodding again, she rose from her chair and straighten her dress. Rising as well, he held out his arm and she accepted it. As they walked out of the room and down the hallway, Christine's eyes glanced outside where she could see a small part of the yard where the prisoners were. There was no one in her sight for they must be having their midday meal as well. Turning her head away, a loud crash ran through the castle. Gustave immediately thought of his daughter's safe and had a guard take her back to her room while he checked it out. Despite wanting to see what was happening, Christine obeyed and allowed the guard to escort her back to her room. Once the door was closed and locked, she could do nothing but wait until her father returned. Gustave made his way down to the yard where a fight between the prisoners broke out. Ordering the guards to break the fight, he stood back where it was safe. His eyes searched for one particular prisoner and soon spotted him, practically throwing a guard off a fellow prisoner. The guard hit the stone-wall, falling to the ground, the wind knocked out of him. Luckily, a group of guards attacked the strong prisoner and within minutes, the fight had been settled.

Christine paced the room, waiting impatiently. An hour had passed and the door finally opened. She sighed in relief when she saw her father coming in. He looked like he hadn't been harmed at all which eased her worried.

"What happened, father?" She asked with concern in her voice.

"Just a fight, it's normal here. Though two guards are injured thanks to Boyd."

"Boyd?"

"A prisoner…the one who fascinated you with moving the boulder yesterday."

"Oh…what is the punishment?" She asked, curious at what would happen to them, especially the prisoner who she now knows as Boyd.

"No food for a week." Her eyes widen.

"They'll starve!" She rose from her chair. Gustave looked at his daughter will some shock. Yes, she always had a caring heart and hated to see people suffer. But he was surprised at her reaction to the punishment of prisoners. "There has to be another punishment for them. You can't starve them, father."

"They won't die, Christine."

"How do you know that? They could die from starvation." He couldn't believe she was basically defending them.

"Christine, these are prisoners…rebel prisoners who have killed English. Many of them are lucky that they are here and not in the Tower of London where they would have been executed already. Boyd's head would be on a stake right now." The last sentence made her gasp as she imagined that picture. He could see the horror in her eyes and quickly regretted saying it. "I'm sorry, Christine." She shook her head.

"No I am. I caused this fight by…" She sighed as her father stood up and walked to her.

"By being just like your mother." Her eyes glanced up at him. "She had a caring heart just like you." A slight smile appeared on her face. "Come, let's not talk anymore about it. The punishment is set and cannot be lifted." Sighing, she nodded her head. She knew well not to argue anymore about it; her father wasn't going to change his mind.

Later that night, Christine sat by the window of her room, looking out onto the yard below. The prisoners had gone into their cells for the night so the yard was quiet and empty. She had noticed that certain prisoners weren't out during dinner and knew they were kept in their cells during dinner. Her eyes glanced over at the pieces of bread that were sitting next to her as a night snack. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. Without thinking of the consequences, she grabbed the bread and wrapped in a cloth. She put a robe over her chemise and quietly opened her door. Checking to make sure the hallway was clear of guards, she grabbed the bread and quietly, sneaked down to the gate which lead to the prisoner cells. Surprisingly, she had managed to sneak pass any guard but her new obstacle was the lock on the gate. Glancing around, she spotted a set of keys on a nail in the wall. Quietly taking them so not to any noise, she took the keys and one-by-one, tried it on the lock until one worked. Opening the gate enough to fit her body through, she closed it and started walking down the hallway of cells. This was part of the castle she had not seen before and trying to find the cells that kept the punished prisoners would be difficult. There weren't names outside each cell to help her, but some cells had a red cloth nailed next to the door and Christine remembered from trips to the Tower of London that it meant the prisoner was on punishment. Reaching the first cell with the red cloth, she saw a small window next to the door. It was for prisoners to receive things like food if they were too sick to go outside. Walking over to the small window, she glanced inside the cell. The prisoner was laying on his side, his back towards her.

"Sir…" She whispered, hoping to wake him but not alert any guard. His body stirred, having heard her voice. As he started to rise from the bed, she quickly slid a piece of bread through the window. Knowing he would see it, she moved on to the next cell. She kept quiet, only whispering 'sir' to get the prisoner's attention to give them the food. When the last piece of bread was gone, she quietly made her way back to her room for the night. As she slept, a few prisoners stayed awake…including a prisoner by the name of Boyd.

 **So Christine is sneaking food to the prisoners...wonder what might happen if her father finds out...**

 **Reviews are welcome**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey everyone, hope you guys are having a good week so far. I managed to upload another chapter and I'll try to upload another this week, I'm not completely sure if I can. I do try and upload at least once a week, but between work and college, it's hard. Again, apologizing for any spelling/grammar errors.**

 **Hope you enjoy : )**

Chapter 3: A Prisoner's Gift

 _Oh no, this cannot be good. What if he found out I snuck food to the prisoners? I thought I was careful…_ Christine thought as she walked down the hallway. Taking a deep breath, she reached the door of her father's study. Knocking on the door, she opened it after she heard him let her inside. Sitting at the desk, he looked up to see his daughter walking inside and up to the desk.

"You asked to see me…" She tried not sound or look nervous.

"Yes, I did." He leaned back in his chair. "I'm afraid I have to leave for a few days for urgent business."

"Am I to go with you?" She asked.

"I would prefer it. I don't want you here alone with the prisoners." He answered. "It's too dangerous."

"I will have the guards her to protect me though if something happens." He was quiet. "I can assure you that I'll be find here for a couple of days. I've been alright for the last few years."

"You were in London though, well protected and far away from any Scot. It's different here…their cells are just below your feet."

"I don't think they would risk their lives to escape and attack me." He smirked. "Father, I am certain that I will be alright while you're away." He looked at her, thinking of her words.

"Alright, you can stay." He made his decision. Smiling, she walked over and hugged him. "Promise me you will stay away from the cell gate."

"I promise, father." She hated breaking her promise she just made, but she had soldiers that needed food and she wouldn't let them starve. Pulling away, she turned to leave the room. Walking down the hallway, she glanced outside to see the sun in the sky. She decided to spend some time outside today and enjoy the weather.

Settling in the chair on the balcony, Christine set up a table next to her chair where she put spare needles, several colors of string and a tambour frame. Picking of the first color, she prepared her needle and soon began on her work. She had become quite skilled with a needle after a few years of practice already. It was something that she often did during the day to pass the time. Though she was focused on her needlework, her ears picked up the sound of the prisoners down below in the yard. Their voices weren't too loud, but loud enough that Christine could hear. However, they spoke in Gaelic and Christine couldn't understand a word…except one: Boyd. His name popped up several times and she began to wonder what they were saying. Listening more carefully, she heard a few cheers from prisoners. Curiosity getting the better of her, she stood up and moved to the railing of the balcony wall. Setting her needlework on the railing, she leaned forward slightly to see the prisoners gathering around two prisoners. One she knew was Boyd, but she wasn't sure who the other one. They kept cheering and shouting in Gaelic as the two prisoners in the middle began to fight. She knew it was harmless and continued to watch. It wasn't long before Boyd pinned the other prisoner down on the ground and the crowd cheered. Christine couldn't help but smile at his victory. Another match started minutes later but Boyd sat this one out. He walked to stand under the balcony, to get some shade. With him out of sight now, Christine decided to return to her needlework. Turning, her hand accidentally bumped her frame and pushed it off the balcony. Gasping, her hand quickly tried to catch it, but it was too late. The tambour frame hit a prisoner's shoulder on its journey down, landing on the ground a few feet away. Boyd's head turned to see the frame land on the ground after it hit his shoulder. Glancing up, he saw Christine leaning over the balcony. _It's her..._ he remembered seeing her and had wondered who she was. _Somebody's daughter…_ His eyes glanced from her to the frame and then back to her. He figured the tambour frame belonged to her. Then he remembered something…from the previous night. He remembered looking out the small window to see a small figure walking down the hallway, giving bread to the prisoners. Though he'd never see the face or even knew if it was a girl or boy who did it, but somehow he knew it was her. Looking away from her, he walked over to the frame and picked it up. _Well…I'll find out tonight if this belongs to her…_

Once in his cell, he set the tambour frame on his bed. Glancing around the small cell, he tried to find something to write on. Prisoners weren't really given anything until they asked but he knew they wouldn't give him anything because of who he is. Looking at the tambour frame and noticed the needle and thread still attached. Glancing down at his clothes, he thought of something. Sitting down on the bed, he ripped some of his clothes into long threads. His mind tried to remember what his sister and mother did whenever they did needlework. He had done it a few times before the war, but it was years ago and his skills weren't the best. Using the needle and now plenty of the thread, he worked out his plan. A couple of hours later and he had finished. Looking at his finished work, he sighed.

"Not me best work…" He was a soldier, not a needle artist. Setting it down, he rose from the bed and walked over to the door. Crouching a bit to look out the small window, looking out into the hallway. It was empty, no sign of anyone. The guards had put everyone back in their cells and most likely getting their meals now. It'd be a perfect time now for her to come. Stepping back, he decided not to wait by the window so not to frighten her away. Leaning against the stone wall, he waited. Soon the sound of movement outside caught his attention and he quickly glanced outside the window. A figure in a cloak with a hood over its head stood outside a cell door, sliding a piece of bread through the small window. Though the hood covered her face, his eyes caught the fabric of a dress as she turned to walk to the next door. _It is her._ Knowing that now, he walked back to the bed and grabbed the tambour frame. Coming to stand just slightly away from the window, he waited until she approached the window. Seeing the bread come through the hole, he made his move. "Wait…" He heard a slight gasp escape her mouth, but she waited. Stepping closer, he slid the tambour frame through the window. It barely fit, but he managed to get it through. He felt her take a hold of it and let go. Saying 'thank you' in Gaelic, he took the bread and moved away from the window.

Christine looked down at the tambour frame in her hands. The words 'Thank you' were sewn in the work. Running her fingers against the fabric, she felt it was different than what she originally used. Stepping closer to a torch, she noticed the color was different as well. She remembered seeing the colors on the clothes the prisoners wore. _Did he…? He did…he used threads from his own clothes to make this._ A big smile appeared on Christine face. He had done this for her. Keeping a hold of it, she quickly finished her rounds. She kept quiet, not wanting to alert the guards who were still having their meal. Managing to finish just as they finished their meals, she snuck back up to her room. Her father had already left hours early so she didn't have to worry about being caught by him, just the guards and servants. Reaching her room, she quietly shut the door and push the hood off her head. Taking the cloak off, she set it on a chair and walked over to the bed. Still holding the tambour frame in her hands, she looked down at it. She still couldn't believe he made it for her. Setting the prisoner's gift next to her bed, she called it a night.

 **So we got out first tiny conversation between them and don't worry, there will be more. Remember, he is Scottish so he speaks Gaelic.**

 **Reviews are welcome : )**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey everyone! So here's the next chapter and I know I've been a little slow uploading chapters, I've been busy with school and work. But I'm on spring break so I'll have plenty of time to upload more chapters. Here's one chapter now and I'll start the next one after getting some sleep because it's like 1am right now and I stayed up just to finish and upload this chapter for you guys.**

 **Again, apologizing for any errors, I do try and catch them before uploading but sometimes I can.**

 **There will be Gaelic in this story and I will do what I did in my other story that had other language in and put them at the bottom of the chapter. If you guys want, I can put the English in perend...these things ( ) (sorry, I don't how to spell it) right after the Gaelic. Just let me know.**

 **Enjoy**

Chapter 4: Execution

By the time the sun rose the next day, Christine was already up. Using the light from the sun, she combed her curly hair. Without a maid to do her hair, Christine had learned to pull her hair back into a bun. Usually, she had her hair in a style back in England, but she didn't care how her hair looked her…well maybe a little. _Trying to impress a prisoner?_ She smirked at herself as she put her dress on. Was she trying to impress a prisoner? If she was, she knew the prisoner who she was trying to impress. She can only imagine her father's reaction if her father knew; he would be furious. Shaking that thought out of her head, she finished getting dressed. Now dressed, she left the room to head down the hallway. The prison was awake as the servants started to prepare the morning meal while some guards were getting the prisoners out of their cells.

Making her way to the balcony to overlook the yard, Christine leaned against the railing to look down at the prisoners as the came out into the yard. She already had a servant bringing her breakfast outside so it allowed her stay outside longer. Soon the yard was filled with prisoners and Christine scanned the large space, looking for one in particular. Her eyes finally spotted him just coming into the yard. She noticed something different with his clothes; his plaid was shorter than before. Usually, they came down past their knees, almost mid-shin. His was just above his knees now and she realized that he used his plaid to sew the message yesterday. She now felt a little bad that he used his clothes and the Scottish nights could get pretty cold sometimes, especially here. Hearing the clatter of plates, she glances behind her to see a maid bring her breakfast.

"Are there any spare blankets…or plaids?" She asked the mail who looked up at her after setting the breakfast down.

"Yes, Miss. The guards took the plaids from the prisoners when they brought here. Shall I get you one?" She asked Christine.

"Please…you may leave it in my room." Nodding and bowing, the maid quickly left to fetch the plaid for Christine. Looking back out onto the yard, she decided to give the plaid to Boyd tonight when she delivers the bread. With her plan set, she went over and sat down to eat her breakfast.

A loud sigh left his mouth as he leaned back against the stone wall. Most of the prisoners were either lounging in the yard or sitting in the shade. Glancing up to the balcony, he spotted Christine just as she turned. A slight smile appeared on his face as he watched her. When she was out of sight, he looked away. _Who is she?_ He wanted to know who she was; he didn't even know her name. He knew nothing about her, but he wanted to know her. He wanted to thank her properly for everything she's doing, but he couldn't. He didn't know how longer she was here, if she was leaving before he would…if he ever would leave. Escaping was pretty much impossible and with the number of guards that Gustave had on him, he rarely got a moment of peace. His moment of peace seemed to be whenever she visited to give him the food. Glancing again up to the balcony, she wasn't into view.

"Strange to see you so silent." A prisoner named Seten walked over to sit next to him.

"I learned if I stay silent, then I have better chance of staying alive." He answered. He knew if he spoke out, his head would be a stake within minutes. Gustave is just looking for the chance to execute him.

"I was thinking you were thinking of a way out of here." He scoffed.

"I'd have to kill half the guards here and even that is risking it." And he wasn't in the mood to risk his life when he knew it was slight chance he would make it out alive. "We'll be in here until this war is over."

"You think Gustave will let you go even after that?" Boyd shrugged. "How is Evan surviving this punishment?" He motioned to the smaller prisoner who many thought wouldn't survive the punishment Gustave put on him and Boyd, along with a few other prisoners.

"Let's just say there's an angel looking after us here." That's all he said, not wanting to talk more about it in case any guard heard. He didn't want to get him or her in trouble. He couldn't imagine what the punishment would be for her if she was caught. Seten took the hint and dropped the subject. The two prisoners against the wall for most of the day. A couple of times, he would glance up to see if he could spot the girl. Only once did he saw her. Their eyes had locked for moments before she looked away. He didn't see her after that for the rest of the day.

That night, he waited patiently in his cell. From the sound of the empty hallway, he knew the guards had left for their meal and she would be here soon. He, along with a few others, waited in their cells. After minutes passed by, his ears picked the sound of someone in the hallway. Walking to his window, he looked out and saw her figure at a prisoner's door. His eyes also picked up something in her hand that wasn't bread. _What is that?_ He couldn't tell in the darkness of the hallway. After Evan's cell, his cell was next. However, she walked right pass it. _Why did she skip mine?_ He asked himself. _Did I scare her with that sewn note? Probably…_ He sighed and walked over to his bed. Sitting down on it, he assumed he wasn't getting anything tonight. As he tried to make the bed comfortable which was pointless, he heard someone outside his cell. Quietly walking over, he watched a piece of bread came through the window. Taking the piece, he noticed something else squeezing through. Taking the end of it, he pulled it through and looked at it. _She didn't…_ it was his plaid. He had it taken from him when he was captured. She had returned it to him. Seeing she was still outside his cell, he reached his hand through so it was outside now. Hesitant at first, she let her hand rest in his. His hand curled, bring hers in closer until it was almost enclosed in his. His thumb stroked over her knuckles and he could feel her hand relax. His hand was rough yet gentle. Moving his hand, she watched as he flatten theirs against each other's. Palms and fingers where against each other; her hand was small compared to his. They stood there for a moment, only their hands touching. Her fingers moved slightly to entwine with his, but a noise caused her hand to pull away. His ear picked up her soft gasp and the empty space now indicated that she left. Sighing, he pulled his hand back through. Glancing down at his head, he couldn't get the feeling of her hand against his out of his head. It was a moment that he knew wouldn't be the last.

Over the next few nights, Christine and Boyd would have the same interactions. A few glances during the day and their hands touching at night when she came with food. They never spoke to each other; they didn't need to. Their actions spoke words for them. He kept the plaid she gave him in his cell, knowing he could wear it out or else guards would question where he got it. He always tried to get something for her whether it would be a small flower from the yard or something he could maybe get from a fellow prisoner. All the prisoners knew of the phantom visitor coming at night to give bread to the prisoners and all of them kept it a secret. To them, she was an angel watching over them.

The week finished and Christine let out a big sigh of relief. She knew the punishment was now over and they would be able to eat again. Though she was glad it was over now, she would miss sneaking down to the cells. She had grown fondly of the prisoners; they weren't the barbarians that her father claimed they were. She was seeing a different side to them and no longer thought of them like her father.

"Miss Daae?" Her head turned to see a maid at the door of her room. "Your father has returned." Smiling, she thanked the maid before rushing out of the room. Down the hallways, she could hear her father's voice. Seeing him at the end of the hallway, she ran to him and hugged him tightly.

"Oh my girl." He was glad to see her well, having been so nervous about her while he was away.

"I'm glad you're back."

"Oh as am I, Christine." He smiled at her. "I have something for you." Her face light up as he reached in a pocket. Just as he was about to pull her gift out, shouts from outside caught their attention. "What is going on?" He started walking towards the yard. Nerves rushed through her as she followed him out onto the balcony. Hearing shouts as she came out, she leans over to look down on to the yard. One of the prisoners that was on the punishment was on the ground, trying to hide something from the guards that surrounded him. She knew what he was hiding: food.

"What are you hiding?" One of the guards stepped forward, trying to get the prisoner to show what he was hiding. He grabbed the prisoner's arm and pulled him to move. "What are you hiding?" He asked more harshly now. She winched at the sight, but couldn't look away.

"Faigh air falbh uaith!" The thundering tone of Boyd caused a few guards to back up as he came to the prisoner's defense. Practically throwing the guard off the prisoner, he stood over the prisoner on the ground. Looking down below him, he saw the food that he was hiding. Using this chance, one of the guards attacked the prisoner, almost throwing him off balance. However, Boyd was known for his fighting and the guard ended up on the ground, groaning in pain. Christine watched in horror as the prisoner she had helped turned into the barbarian he was known for. Prisoners stood back, knowing Boyd didn't need any help unless he wanted it. He knew he would get months of punishment for it, but he didn't realize his next move would be fatal. He didn't intend to kill a guard, but seeing the lifeless body on the ground caused a silence from everyone. The silence broke when Gustave shouted an order and guards surrounded Boyd. He didn't put much of a fight, letting them take him down. Christine watched as her father walked over to stand in front of the prisoner.

"I should have known you wouldn't change after a week. A man like you will never change. Now you've killed." Boyd remained quiet. "A life for a life." He knew what that meant. "Take him to the pit tonight." He ordered the guards. "At sunrise, he will get his sentence…death."

 **Translate:** **Faigh air falbh uaith! = Get away from him!**

 **So Erik is sentence to death now, do you think he'll be executed or maybe get out of it? Also, Seten is a character that will appear a lot.**

 **Reviews are welcome : )**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello everyone, hope everyone's week is going great. I'm sorry I didn't upload this any sooner, I'm currently stick with the stomach flue and been resting most of this week. But I managed to sneak my laptop with me so I could upload it. I don't know when I'm upload the next one, but I may upload _Wildest Dreams_ next **

**Enough from me, hope you enjoy**

Chapter Five: His Angel

Executed…he was going to be executed by sunrise. The color fled from her face as her father's words played in her head. _He's going to die..._ Her eyes watched as the guards dragged him away while the other prisoners stood there, motionless. They couldn't believe it either. The powerful prisoner would be killed by dawn. Once Boyd was out of sight, Christine fell back into a chair as a breath left her mouth. _He's going to die…he's going to die because of me._ She knew he was protecting the prisoner that was hiding the bread that she gave him last night. _Oh god, I'm responsible for his death._ She realized the consequence now of her kindness. If she had never tried to help, Boyd wouldn't be spending his last night in the pit.

"Christine?" She jumped at her father's voice. Turning around, she saw him walking out onto the balcony. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"It's okay." She looked down.

"What is wrong?" He walked over to stand in front of her.

"Does he have to be executed tomorrow?" She looked up at him. He looked away, sighing and looked back at her.

"Yes he does. He killed a guard."

"He was trying to defend a fellow prisoner." She rose from her chair. "Those guards were attacking the prisoner for no reason."

"They had a reason, Christine. He was hiding something and it could have been a weapon."

"But it could have been something harmless too." She had a point. None of them knew what he was hiding. After Boyd got involved, the guards forgot about trying to find out what he was hiding.

"If Boyd haven't intervene then we could have find out what he was hiding. Boyd chose to step in and get himself involve. He chose to kill the guard. It's what he does, he kills. He has killed many of our countrymen. Why do you think he's heavily guarded?" He asked her. _Not heavily as you think, father…_

"He chose to protect his fellow prisoner."

"Why are you defending him?" He asked her.

"Because he doesn't deserved to be executed for protecting his fellow prisoner."

"He deserved to be executed for killing our countrymen…and he will at dawn." She was silent, knowing nothing she could do would change his mind. He was right though; if he did kill many English soldiers, then by law, he deserved to be executed. However, she knew there was something else. A missing piece of information that only the prisoners knew that her father refused to look for.

He might as well be in hell right now. The pit was practically hell for any prisoner sentenced there. A tiny room with no light and the smell of rotting bodies would make anyone go crazy. He heard many stories of many prisoners killing themselves after a few days in the pit. Though he wouldn't be one of them; his date with the noose was just hours away. Sighing, he leaned against the wall. His stomach rumbled for food, but he knew he wouldn't be getting any. His angel wouldn't be able to get down here, he would never see her again which sadden him slightly. He wanted to thank her…at least get her name. _Forget about her, Erik. You'll be dead soon and only be a memory to her that she'll forget._

That night, Christine couldn't sleep. She had skipped dinner, saying she wasn't feeling good. Her father had brought food up to her room in case she had gotten hungry later. She hadn't left the room since. Pacing the room, her mind was racing. She kept wanting to do something to try and prevent the execution, but she was running out of ideas. Her father was set on his orders, nothing could change his mind. She knew he wants him dead, all of England wants Boyd dead…but she didn't. Soon she realized there was only way to save him: escape. _Absolutely not!_ There was no way she could escape a most wanted prisoner from the pit. Even if she managed to get to his cell, she wouldn't be able to sneak him out without being caught. It was too risky and dangerous…but she managed not to get caught for a week. Her eyes glanced over at the gifts she had gotten from Boyd over the last few days, remembering the small moments they had. Those memories made her decision: she would help him escape.

She couldn't believe she was doing this. This was treason, probably high treason and her father would have her head if he ever found out. She'd go down in history and not for something she'd like. Boyd would killed in a heartbeat if they were caught so she prayed that they wouldn't get caught. Quietly making her way down the hallway, she remembered when the guards took their dinner and only a few were ordered to guard the prison. She had learned where they would be and how to sneak pass them. Wearing her black cloak, she managed to almost blend in with the stone walls in the darkness. The hallways have become familiar to her over the last couple of days and she almost could navigate through them without getting lost. A few times, she had to stop and try to blend into the wall to not be seen by a guard or servant. As she went further below the prison, her nerves rose. The further down she went, the darker the hallways were. Reaching a door, her hands started feeling around the wall for the keys. Feeling the ring, she slowly took them off the nail and used to the key to unlock the door. Opening it, she kept the key as she quietly went inside. With only one lighted torch, she had very little light. It was enough to outline a door. Taking a deep breathe, she walked over and stood on her tiptoes to look through the small window. It was all black inside, she couldn't make out an outline of a man.

"Boyd?" She whispered. Her ears picked up the sound of movement, knowing it was him. Though she couldn't see him, she could sense him standing at the door.

"How did ye get down here?" Though he was grateful to hear her voice, he was shocked that she was here.

"There's not enough time to explain." Stepping back, she felt around the wall again for the key. Feeling the key, she grabbed it and went back to the door. He could only listen as she unlocked the door. Opening it, she paused when she heard voice. Her nerves rose through the roof as her hands began to shake, causing the key to rattle. Suddenly she felt a hand on her hand and was pulled inside, the door shut. Her eyes widen as she realized where she was now; inside the pit cell with Boyd. His hand was over her mouth so she couldn't scream, but she wasn't going to scream. They waited several minutes until the voice faded and a sigh of relief left his mouth as his hand moved away from Christine's mouth.

"I'm sorry, lass."

"It's Christine." She told him, stepping forward and turning around to face him. Though they were in the dark, she could still sense him.

"Christine…" Her name flowed from his mouth beautifully. "Thank you, Christine."

"Promise you won't kill anyone." She knew it would be a hard promise to make, but she didn't want more lives taken. Stepping towards her, he stood right in front of her.

"I promise."

"Thank you." They stood in silence, just inches away from each other. Feeling his hand on hers, he flattened his hand against hers. A smile came to her face at the act. "I am truly in your debt."

"I-" She froze when she heard voices again, her body moving closer to his. "You have to hurry, I can try and distract the guards." She went to move towards the door, but his hand grabbed hers, stopping her. Turning back to face him, she wasn't prepared for what he was going to. His other hand cupped her face as his lips claimed her. At first, she froze. He was kissing her, a rebel Scottish prisoner was kissing her, an English princess. But her shock faded and her lips returned his kiss. It was a gentle kiss. Pulling away, he looked down at her.

"Tapadh leibh, mo aingeal." The words were soft and she couldn't help the feeling of her heart soaring. She felt him move pass her to leave.

"Wait…" He stopped. "What does…mo ai-nge-al mean?" She asked him.

"My angel." He answer and then he was gone. She remained in her spot for a few moments, thinking of what just happened. She just help escaped a most-wanted prisoner, kissed him and was called 'my angel'. Staring into the darkness, she wondered if she would ever see him again.

 **Tapadh leibh, mo aingeal = Thank you, my angel**

 **Reviews are welcome : )**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello everyone. I know I've been slow on updating these stories and I'm sorry about that. I'm trying to work more on school stuff with one more month left. This chapter is kind of...bleh. It's more to get the next few chapters going and I'm sorry if you were hoping Erik was in the chapter, he won't be appearing for a bit (sorry but he is alive)**

 **I hope you guys enjoy and I'll try to upload the next one soon**

Chapter 5: Ten Long Years

 _His hand gently cupping her cheek, the roughness of his skin against of the softness of hers. The feeling of his lips on hers caused a fire to burn inside of her. He paralyzed her; she didn't know whether to give in or push him away. Her heart took over and her lips returned his kiss. In that moment, she felt something happening, but she didn't what. She sensed that he felt it too for his body had moved closer until their bodies were pressed up against each of she could feel every hard muscle of his chest and abdomen. He was reluctant to break the kiss, but they both knew he had to leave now. She never forgot those words, that name he called her._

" _My angel…"_

Christine jolted up as the wheel ran over a bump, causing her to wake from her dream. Her felt her cheeks flushed and her heart racing. _Why am I still like this?_ It's been years since that night, but the memory was still fresh.

"Cousin Christine, is everything alright?" She heard a voice ask her and her head turned towards the source. William was sitting across from her, his face showing concert for his aunt.

"Yes I'm fine…just a dream that's all." She answered him as she sat up, fixing her dress. Glancing out the window, she noticed the land was different. "Have arrived in Scotland?" She asked William who nodded.

"Yes, about an hour ago. We should be arriving to the village soon. The king said it was only about an hour from the border." He referred to Christine's father.

"William, you can call him uncle. Remember he is family even if he is the king." Looking out once more, she noticed a familiar castle in the distance. "I know that place."

"Castle Kilchurn." William told her. Now she remembered, it used to be a prison where she met the Scottish prisoner. Now the Scots regained it. "That's where that rebel Boyd was imprisoned. Uncle doesn't know how he escaped though." _I do, I'm the one who helped him._ She remembered the next day and how stunned everyone was that Boyd had escape. Her father was more angry than anything. However, he assumed she had anything to do with it. Keeping silent, she continued to look out the window as castle Kilchurn faded into the distance.

Arriving at their destination, Christine looked out the window to see the carriage passing through a small village. Children stopped their games to watch the carriage pass. A soft smile appeared on her face as she gazed upon their faces. For a moment, she thought of what her children would be like. The thought vanished as the carriage stopped. The door opened and using the help of one of the servants, Christine got out and waited for her nephew. Once he was out, the two walked inside. As the doors opened, Christine could spot her father.

"Father!" Despite not being a little girl anymore, she still ran over to hug her father. Over the last ten years, she hadn't really gotten to see her father much. He had been busy with the war and she remained in London. This was her first time back in Scotland.

"My Christine." He stepped back to look at his daughter. She no longer was the little girl that used to run down the hallways of the castle. Now she had grown into a beautiful woman.

"Uncle Gustave." He heard William's voice and turned his attention to the boy. Christine glanced around the castle, taking in the place where she'd be staying for a bit. Gustave had a servant take William to his room while he spoke to Christine alone. Following him up to a room which became his study, Christine saw the view of the village outside.

"How was the trip here?" He asked her. Turning her attention away from the window, she looked at her father.

"Quite well, thank you. I must say, I fell asleep. When I woke up, we were in Scotland already. We passed Castle Kilchurn." She noticed the look on his face when she mentioned the place. "Apologizes, father. I shouldn't have said it."

"You do not have to apologize for what happened there." He paused. "Though…the war could have ended sooner had Boyd remained in prison." She didn't respond. "With him back…I'm not sure this war will ever end."

"It will, father." He sighed.

"I hope so." Walking over, her hand placed on his arm. The stress of war was slowly taking its toll on him and she could see how worn out he was. He had aged over the years, looking older than he was. She wished she could do something to help him, but she knew that her presence here was enough for now.

Later that night, Christine lay in bed in the dark room. Her eyes stared up at the ceiling as her mind wondered. She wondered what would life be like if Boyd had stayed in prison…would the war have ended? _Probably…stop thinking of it. You can't change the past now._ She was right; she can't go back and change what happened. Even if she could go back, she knew she wouldn't change anything. _Maybe expect learn what his first name was._ Over the years, she had tried to figure out what his name was, but no one seemed to know what his name was. It bothered her that this prisoner who kissed her, she never gotten his first name. _I wonder if he still remembers it…_ She scoffed at that. _He's probably forgotten all about me and the kiss…_

 **Do you think Erik still remembers her?**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello everyone! Hope you guys are enjoying your weekend. Here's the next chapter and I hope you guys enjoy it. I'm not sure when the next one will be upload, but I'll try and upload it soon.**

 **PS: Don't be mad at me for this chapter**

Chapter 7: Engagement

The cool Scottish morning felt so cold against her skin. Her eyes watched as the sun rose over the hills, painting the skies. This was something she missed about Scotland; the sunrises or sunsets. In London, the buildings sometimes blocked the sun so she couldn't enjoy it as much. Wrapping the sheets around her, she tried to keep warm. Watching the sunrise, her mind started to wonder. She wondered if she would one day watch the sunrise with someone special. She began thinking of what it would be like. _A pair of strong arms wrapped around her body, holding her close…his voice whispering 'my ang-stop it, Christine!_ Shaking her head, she tried to get rid of that thought out of her mind. _Stop thinking about him. He is gone. You won't see him again._ Sighing, she pulled the sheet up to her skin. _Will I ever forget about him?_

Dressed and hungry, Christine made her way down to the dining room where William and her father were eating. The servants just placed the food on the table as she sat across from William. Placing the napkin on her lap, she took a sip of her drink.

"Did you sleep well?" Gustave asked her daughter.

"Yes, thank you. Though I forgot it could get a little colder at night here." She answered, setting her drink down.

"Yes, it took me awhile to get used to the cold nights."

"I'm not sure if I'll ever get to use to the cold nights here. I don't spend enough time here."

"Well, I couldn't risk you being in Scotland when Boyd escaped. It was too dangerous. Though it's still dangerous now, but Boyd is said to be far away from here."

"How do you know if Boyd is far away from here?" William asked.

"We would have word of it. If Boyd was near, then I wouldn't have risked you two coming here. Besides, I do not think Bruce would risk having his best soldier taken prisoner again or killed." Christine only nodded. "Do not worry about Boyd. You and Christine are safe as long as you stay with these walls."

"We can't go down to the village?" Christine asked, having want to go down to the village to walk around. Gustave shook his head.

"No." He answered, making her sigh. She wanted to go down to the village. She'd either have to convince him more or sneak down to the village. Gustave dropped the topic, changing it to life back in England. Though he visited a few times, he mainly spent his time in Scotland. Christine let William tell her father about life in England while she continued to eat her breakfast. William and Gustave were still talking when Christine finished. Letting them talk, she left the room

Later that day, Gustave walked through the hallways of the castle. Stopping, he asked one of the servants where Christine was. After thanking the servant, he made his way to the small stable where the horses were kept. Walking inside, he spotted his daughter. She was standing in a stall, petting one of the stallions which was his. Slowly walking up to the stall, he noticed how content she was.

"No book to read?" Hearing her voice, she jumped slightly, spooking the horse as well. "Apologies, I didn't mean to scare you."

"No, I just thought I was alone." Calming the horse, she looked at her father. "Is everything alright?" She asked him.

"There is something we have to talk about." She knew that look, that tone…something was up.

"What is it?" Though she was still petting the stallion, she gave him her full attention. He sighed, unsure how to explain it.

"You are aware of England's relationship with France." She nodded.

"Yes, father. It is as well as your relationship with Scotland." He smirked, knowing how true it was. "I thought we were not at war with France."

"We are not…not yet at least." She hoped now. England was already fighting against Scotland, they didn't need another country enter. "However, the king of France has offered peace, a truce."

"What are the terms?" She asked him. Growing up as the princess, she learned about politics.

"England and France will be allies…by marriage." _Marriage?_ She thought. _Who is being married?_ Thinking about it more, she realized.

"Marry the prince of France?" He nodded. _An arranged marriage? To the prince of France? No! He couldn't agree to this…could he? Oh god, that means I'd have to live in France._ She didn't want to live in France, she wanted to stay in England. "H-Have you agreed?" _Please say no._

"I accepted the terms." Blood drained from her face as the words sunk in. "We travel to France at the end of the week." She had about five days left until she would be married. In five days, she would be a princess of France. In five days…she would have to forget about him.

 **So Christine's got 5 days left...a lot can happen in 5 days, especially with a phantom nearby**

 **Reviews are welcome : )**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello everyone. Well I managed to upload another chapter. Now I know this are not as long as I wish them to be, but they will get longer, I promise. Reading the reviews from last chapter, you guys aren't happy with Christine's engagement and I am sorry, it's how I set up the story.**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. Apologizing for any errors or mistakes**

Chapter 8: Village Festival

Four days had gone by since her father told her about her marriage to the prince of France and those four days were all a blur. She was still processing everything as well as figuring out what and who to take to France with her. It was hard when she was currently in Scotland, but her father said they would travel back to London first before leaving for France. That way, she could get all of her belongings before traveling to France for her wedding. Though she wasn't ready to leave her life in England to live in France and be married to a stranger, she really didn't have much of a choice.

Christine had heard about a festival being held in the village from one of the maids who had gone down to the village. The festival happens every year and everyone attends. Hearing this, Christine wanted to attend the festival, it would the last one before she leaves for France. Remembering what her father said, she knew it would take a lot of convincing for him to let her go. She thought of how she could get him to allow her to go. She'd be okay with doubling up the security on her if that would do it, hopefully it would. Using that, she left the room she was in and went to find her father. Finding him in his study, she walked up to him, taking a deep breath.

"Uh oh, you must want something." He said, putting a paper down.

"Yes." She stopped in front of the desk. "There's a festival in the village an-"

"No." He quickly answered.

"Why not?"

"Because it's too dangerous. I told you this before. What if the village is attacked? It's a far run back to the safety of the castle." He did have a point.

"Father, do you really think they will attack here?" She asked him. "You have said it before; you would have known about it if they were near." She paused. "Father please, just one last festival." Looking into her eyes, he could tell that she really wanted to go. Sighing, he knew he should let her.

"Alright, you may go to the festival." Smiling, she walked over to hug her father. "Promise me you will be careful."

"I promise, father." With the smile on her face, she rushed for the door. Leaving the study, she rushed to find William to tell him that she was going to the festival. Of course, he wanted to go and she agreed. Gustave got several guards to protect them and one of Christine's maids came along as well. He watched them head down to the village, hoping that he wouldn't regret his decision.

The village was alive with people. The streets were crowded with people, all stopped whatever they were doing when they saw Christine. Right away, everyone bowed. Christine had gotten used to it over the years, but it sometimes annoyed her.

"Please, continue." She spoke gently and the festival resumed. The guards kept close to Christine and William, knowing if anything happened to them, Gustave would have their heads. Looking around at the vendors, she stopped at a flower vendor. Glancing at the selection of flowers, one flower caught her eye: a red rose. It was slightly larger than the others, far more redder but beautiful. Looking at the merchant, she asked about the price for the rose.

"For you, your highness…it's on the house." He answered, picking up the rose and handing it to her. Smiling, she thanked him but left a small tip for him which he was thankful for. Holding onto the rose, she continued to walk around the village, glancing at the vendors while William watched the small sword play that some men were doing. She bought a few more things and had the maid take them back to the castle, but kept the rose with her.

At one point, musicians started playing and people began dancing. Christine had rejoined with William and they watched some of the people dance to the music. She watched as the people danced around, smiles on their faces. She would miss this; she would miss all of this. _Don't think about it, Christine._ But it was hard not to think about it. Tomorrow she would return to England and then to France. Sighing, she looked away, in the direction of the trees just outside the village. Feeling a small breeze, she closed her eyes as the breeze touched her face. Opening them up, she looked back at the dancing people. The festival continued, unaware of a pair of eyes watching from the shadows.

 **Any ideas who is watching?**

 **I'm sure you guys can guess who is appearing next chapter...**

 **Reviews are welcome : )**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: You guys know who is reappearing and you've been wanting him back so here you guys go. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter (I know it's short)**

Chapter 9: A Shadow from the Past

He watched from afar, using the thickness of the trees to shield them from the eyes of the English pickets. They had managed to sneak this close without being detected and now we're awaiting orders. His eyes scanned the crowds, mentally counting each soldier he could find. There were a lot but this was where the king of England was stationed. However, he was curious to why a lot of soldiers were here in the village. Hearing a twig break, he turned to see Seten approaching him.

"The men are getting restless." He informed the captain. "They are wondering if you are planning on attacking today." Not replying, he turned his attention back to the village. His eyes slowly scanned along the village, taking in everything as he mentally planned the attack.

"Get the men ready." He ordered, making Seten nod and head back to where the rest of the men were waiting. Taking in once last glance, he knew it was time.

Walking back to his horse, he passed a few of him men, mounted and ready to go. One soldier held the reins of his horse for him, waiting. With one hand grabbing the reins, the other on the back of the saddle, he lifted himself up onto the stallion. Feeling the weight of his owner, his head lifted as an ear turned back as if to let him know he was listening. The solder released the reins and went to mount his horse. Leaning forward slightly, his hand stroked the neck of the horse.

"Furasta gille _(easy boy)_." The soft Gaelic relaxed the horse; his could feel the muscles relax. Straightening up, he clicked his tongue and the horse began to walk. The men followed behind, keeping quiet. Reaching the end of the trees, his hand rose to signal a halt.

"There is no going back now." Seten commented as he unscathed his sword. "May I suggest something?" He asked. Turning his head, he looked at his partner. "Maybe you should stay back. The last time you attacked where the king was, you were taken prisoner." He remembered that attack well, too well. He should have known there were soldiers hidden behind the wall of the castle. It was a mistake and it costed him a lot. However, he would never take it back. Though it landed him in prison and an execute sentence, he got to meet her. _Christine…_ he hadn't forgotten about her. He tried finding her, but couldn't. After a few years, he gave up searching for her. But he would still think of her sometimes.

"Captain?" Hearing one of the soldier's voice, he pushed the thought of her out of his mind. He had to focus on the attack, not needing a distraction. Turning his attention to the village, he settled into the saddle. Like a loin stalking its prey, he mentally counted down. _3…2…_

"Ionnsaigh! _(attack)_ "

 **The** **Gaelic translation is right after the words so I think I'll do that from now on so you guys will know the words right away instead of scrolling down to the end to read the translation.**

 **Now Erik is back and attacking the village. Will there be a reunion?**

 **Reviews are welcome : )**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hello everyone, hope everyone had a good weekend. Here is the next chapter. I'm not sure when the next one will be upload. School is wrapping up so that means projects and papers are due. But I will try and upload the next chapter soon. I'll also try to upload the next chapter for _Wildest Dreams._ **

**I'm sorry for any grammar or spelling errors. If there are any errors or something's not really making sense, please feel free to message me (not on the reviews please)**

 **Enjoy the chapter**

Chapter 10: The Attack

"Your highness, I think it's time we head back." One of the soldiers suggested. Looking at the concerned soldier, she could see the concerned look in his eyes. The sun was getting late and she knew Gustave would be wanting them back soon. She also knew that she should get some rest for the long days to come. Sighing, she agreed.

"Alright, let us find William and then we will return to the castle." Setting foot to find William, she weaved through the crowd gathered around the musicians. The music changed to Scottish which seemed to make the people dance more. Though this was an English castle now, many people still were Scottish that chose to stay. As the song became more alive, so did the dancing. At one point, the people started to form a circle, grabbing people from the watching crowd to join. Christine felt someone grab her hand and pulled her into the dancing.

"Your highness." The soldiers guarding her tried to get her out, but she couldn't hear them above the music or people. Laughter left her mouth as she danced with the people. Though she knew she should leave and find William, one last dance wouldn't hurt.

The sound of a horn caused everyone to stop; the musicians put their instruments down as every pair of eyes glanced around. Christine let go of the people's hands she was holding and looked around. Her eyes moved the trees she looked at early and noticed a large form coming towards the village.

"It's the Phantom!" A villager shouted and soon chaos erupted. Rushing to get into their homes or any place of safety, they didn't care who they were pushing even if it was the princess. Christine tried to get back to where the soldiers were, but the crowd was pushing her further away.

"Your highness!" The soldier kept calling out, hoping to find her. He glanced back at the approaching enemy, seeing them get closer and closer. The soldiers had to decide whether to find Christine and William to get them back to the castle or stay and fight.

"For England!" A captain shouted and the group of soldiers formed a wall to help protect the civilians from the attackers. Arms with shields and swords, the soldiers braced themselves. Many of the them never fought against the Phantom and now they would. They watched as the horse and rider galloped towards them. They could easily run over the soldiers with the horses, it was a strategy every soldier knew. Just as the rider approached the line, his horse jumped over the soldiers, making the duck so not to get struck with the hooves. Now vulnerable, enemy swords met with flesh and the line started to falter. Having heard about the Scottish attack, Gustave sent every soldier he had out with orders to some to find Christine and William. Joining the soldiers, he armed and mounted his horse before galloping out of the safety of the castle to find his daughter and nephew. Hearing the cheers from the soldiers, he glanced to the castle to see the English flags and knew that Gustave was coming. Giving an order to Seten, he turned his horse to fall back behind the attacking line. Two soldiers stayed with him to help guard him as he watched his men attack.

 _God, where is William?_ She kept trying to find him even with the chaos. It was getting hopeless to find hi, by now she hoped he found some place safe to hide until the attack was over. Hoping he was safe, she needed to get somewhere safe. Glancing around, she looked for a place she could possible hide until it was over. Seeing an empty barn, she decided to use that. Grabbing the skirt of her dress, she ran as fast as she could over to the barn and went inside. It was small with only one stall for the horse, but it was enough for her. Settling herself by the window, she kept a lookout outside at the fight and to see if William somehow would appear. Looking around, she spotted three enemy soldiers in the distance, away from the attack. They were too far to see their faces, but she had a feeling one of them was the captain of this group. Looking away from the three soldiers, she looked back onto the fight. She couldn't tell who was winning or losing. A few times, the Scots fell back but they would reform and attack again. They were determined to win, no matter what the casualties would be. Hearing shouts, she looked to the right to see a line of enemy soldiers charging. They had ridden around the village to attack from behind. An English sandwich is what the Scots called this strategy and it worked. To save his men's lives, Gustave knew he would have to fall back to the safety of the castle walls. Though it would mean defeat, it would save a lot of lives. Ordering the men to fallback, they galloped towards the castle. The Scots followed, leaving a few to get supplies from the village as the soldiers returned to the castle.

Pulling away from the window, she sat down so none of the soldiers would spot her and come after her. She would hide here until they leave, she hoped it was a good plan. Taking a deep breath, she suddenly heard someone yelling. Listening more, she noticed it was an English accent. Peering through the window, she looked out to see what was going.

"Get your rebel hands off of me!" William tried to break free of the soldier's grip. A gasp left her mouth as she saw William with the soldier. _Oh no, William! Should I help or stay here?_ Glancing around, she saw none of the soldiers; they were either dead or return to the castle. Though they could return soon, it may be too late. She had to help, try to save him. Not seeing another soldier, she hoped that would give her a higher chance of helping him. Leaving the safety of the barn, she ran over.

"Let him go!" The soldier turned to see Christine, groaning slightly as he now had to deal with her. Trying to get William out of the soldier's grip, she wasn't aware of a figure on a horse galloping towards them. Hearing the sound of hooves, she turned towards the sound. Before she could see the rider, she felt something cover her face.

"No!" She heard William's voice as darkness took over.

 **Reviews are welcome**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hey everyone. Here is the next chapter, quiet surprised I managed to finish it in one day but I'm sure you guys aren't complaining. Now, there is Gaelic in this chapter, mainly every word Erik says is in Gaelic but I translated it for you guys so you'll know what he is saying. Don't worry, he won't be speaking Gaelic the whole story (only when he doesn't want Christine to know what he's saying).**

 **Apologizing for any grammar or spelling errors.**

Chapter 11: Two Hostages

"Sir…" Turning his attention to the soldier, he noticed the soldier pointing. Following the direction, his eyes looked out to see Gustave riding out. Silently cursing, he looked around for Seten. As much as he wanted to fight, he couldn't risk being captured again. He had no angel to save him this time if he did. Finding Seten, he rode over to his partner.

"Take command." Understanding, Seten only nodded his head. With Seten now in command, he looked to the two soldiers next to him. "Leamsa (With me)" He ordered before riding off. The two soldiers followed him as he rode behind his line. Halting several yards away, he knew it was a good spot. He could still keep an eye on the fight while away from being capture. It was rare that he stayed back, but he trusted Seten and knew he would bring victory.

Watching the English retreat to the safety of the castle was a sight he enjoyed seeing. However, he knew they would attack if they stayed. Turning to a soldier, he gave an order for the men to gather supplies. He wanted no hostages and was very clear about that. Staying where he was, he spoke to the other soldier who stayed while the rest of the men were gathering supplies. Shifting in his saddle, he could hear someone yelling from the village. Turning his attention to the village, he saw one of his men trying to capture a prisoner. Just before he was going to ride up, a soldier rode up to him.

"Sir, the men have found Gustave's nephew." His eyes widen slightly, unsure he heard the soldier correctly.

"Gustave mac bràthar? (Gustave's nephew?)" The soldier nodded.

"Yes, sir."

"Dèan cinnteach nach eil ea 'teicheadh. (Make sure he doesn't escape)" The soldier nodded and rode off to give the order. He couldn't believe this, Gustave's nephew. It would explain the number of soldiers in the village before the attack. Although, there were a little too many soldiers for his nephew. _There had to be someone else important. But who?_ His question was unanswered when he heard a woman's voice. Looking over, he saw a woman trying to save the nephew. Rolling his eyes, he motioned his horse into a gallop. Getting closer, he grabbed an empty sack that he normally used for apples for him and his horse. Just before approaching the woman, he released the reins. Using his legs to grip the horse, his right hand grabbed her to pull her up onto the horse as his left hand put the sack over her head. Putting her over the saddle in front of him, he took ahold of the reins as he heard the nephew yell after them. The woman started protesting now, though she was careful not to kick or hit the horse.

"Put me down!" She ordered him, making him smirk. He was a little surprised when her hand hit his leg. She let out a loud yelp when his hand slapped her behind. _Well that got her quiet._ Turning his horse around, he rode back towards his men.

"Cruinnich dè urrainn dhut! Tha sinn a 'gluasad a-mach! (Gather what you can! We're moving out!)" He shouted the order, knowing the English would return soon, especially when they learn that Gustave's nephew is now taking hostage…and whoever this woman is. Several minutes later and the Scots galloped away from the village, back to the safety of the trees. However, the ride back to Scotland territory would be several days and he didn't want to have to worry about two hostages with him.

After about an hour of riding, he decided to stop and let the horses rest, as well as the men. The woman was still over his lap and hadn't said a word since the slap on the behind. However, he knew she must be uncomfortable by now. Halting his horse, he managed to dismount behind helping her off. She stumbled a bit, unprepared for the dismount. The sack was still on her head so he could see her face nor could she see his face. The soldier helped the nephew off and walked him over to the captain. The two stood next to each other as the captain whispered something to the soldier. He needed to figure out what to do with the woman. He knew there was a village about a day ride from here where he could leave her. That was his plan…

 **Do you think Erik will stick to his plan once he finds out who the woman is? Wonder how he'll react to seeing Christine again...find out soon**

 **Reviews are welcome : )**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hello everyone. You guys wanted the chapter of Christine's reaction and here it is. (and it's longer too) I hope I did her reaction good, I was unsure how to. You guys are getting spoiled with all these uploads this week so far. I'll try to keep it up.**

 **Hope you enjoy the chapter**

Chapter 12: Meeting the Phantom

Her body ached from the hour ride. It was a ride she wouldn't want to do again and hoped she won't again. She hadn't planned on getting captured and he came out of nowhere. _Like a phantom…_ now she was taken hostage and somewhere she didn't know. He had put a sack over her head so she couldn't see anything. She had tried protesting, but that only landed a hard slap on her butt. After that, she figured maybe cooperating with them would be better so she kept her mouth shut. When he helped her off the horse, it surprised her more than the slap on the butt. First, she wasn't expecting it and stumbled slightly. Second, she wasn't expecting the man who slapped her butt to gently help her off the horse. And third, she wasn't expecting her body's reaction to his touch. Standing there, she could hear men talking in Gaelic; one of them she assumed was the captain.

"What's going to happen to us?" She heard William whisper to her. She didn't know and truthfully, she didn't want to find out. She had heard stories about what Scots do with their hostages which sent a shiver down her spine.

"We have to remain calm…" She whispered back. However, Christine was far from calm. She was almost shaking with fear that the soldiers started to notice.

"You have nothing to fear." A deep, dark voice made her body freeze. _That voice…_ She remembered that voice. That voice would haunt her dreams for years; she hadn't forgotten that voice. _No, it couldn't be…could it?_ Could it be…him?

The burst of light made her turn her head away, unprepared for the brightness. They had removed their sacks from their heads and could now look around to where they were. Glancing around, she recognized nothing. She knew they must be far from the castle, but how far? She could only see the men, horses and trees. Looking at the three men in front of her, she could see their hard faces. They didn't look like the knights back in England, they look…dangerous. They were dangerous and she knew they had to get away from them. Their hands were tied and the ground didn't look too rough to run. Glancing down at her dress, she knew she would have difficulty running with this dress. _Maybe a distraction would help…_ Looking at William who stood by the horse, she got an idea. _The horse, perfect._

"Step away from the horse." She quietly said to William, not wanting the soldiers guarding them to hear. He looked at her curiously before taking a step back. The horse was already facing the soldiers which helped. Quietly apologizing to the horse, her hand smacked the animal. The horse bolted straight towards the men, making them jump out of the way. "Now!" Quickly grabbing his hand, they made a run for it. She didn't bother looking back to see if anyone was chasing her, hopefully they were too busy getting the horse.

Hearing shouts, the captain turned around to see his men he ordered to guard the two hostages jumping out of the way of a running horse now. He also saw the woman and boy make a run for it. Muffling a curse, he ran after them. Another soldier followed him and the two went after the hostages. Luckily for them, the dress slowed the woman down while the boy was gained distance.

"Faigh an gille! (Get the boy!)" He ordered the soldier when the two separated. He followed the woman while the soldier followed the boy. Ducking from the branches she moved out of the way for her, he kept gaining distance. Within a few minutes, he caught up to her. He grabbed her and pulled her to him. She yelped and tried to get out of his tight grip.

"Let me go!" She tried punching his chest, but the metal chain prevented any harm except to her now hurt hand. "Ow!" Though her hand hurt, she still kept trying. _She's determined, I'll give her that,_ he thought as he held onto her. "Let go of me, you barbarian!"

"Cha tèid mi ma chuireas tu fòn gu bheil mi! (I will not if you call me that!)" One last attempt she had. Still wearing her shoes, her foot kicked out to hit him in the shin. Groaning, he let go of her "Daingead!" Out of his grip, she made a run for it again only to run into a soldier. Falling to the ground, she felt the wind get knocked out of her. Now she was trapped and would give up…for now.

With the two hostages back, the captain explained to his men his plan. Since he spoke in Gaelic, Christine and William couldn't understand anything he was saying. A part of her feared of what was going to happen, but a part of her somehow knew that he wasn't going to harm her or William. She wondered who he was. His voice was familiar, but she wouldn't believe it was really him. Maybe if she saw his face, she would know if he was who she thought he was. She knew he was part of Bruce's army, but who.

"He won't get away with this." William whispered to her.

'William, watch your tongue." She scolded him. He had a habit of not watching what he said and it often got him in trouble. And now wasn't the place for it.

"It's true though. When Gustave finds us, he'll kill that barbarian and put his head on a spike outside the Tower of London." Sighing, she knew it was hopeless to stop his mouth. "When he finds out who you are, h-"

"No, he cannot find out who I am." She shook her head.

"Why not?" He asked her.

"What is all the talking about?" one of the soldiers asked him, drawing attention to them from all the Scots now. Christine kept her mouth shut, wishing William will do the same.

"I was saying that you rebels won't get away with this. My uncle will have your heads when he finds us." William answered, making the captain smirk.

"And you think we are afraid of your uncle?" The captain asked as he walked towards the hostages. A hood helped hid his face from them, but she could see a pair of ice blue eyes. They drew her in like a moth to light. She had seen them before, years ago. "It is your uncle who should be afraid."

"Why would my uncle be afraid of some Scot rebel?" William asked while Christine remained silent. _Who is this man? Why can't I figure it out?_

"I'm not some Scot rebel." Some of the soldiers chuckled. Raising his hands, they removed his hood to reveal the face of the captain. Christine's eyes widen as she gazed upon the face she face that haunted her dreams for ten years.

"Y-Y-You're…" William couldn't even say his name. He couldn't believe who the man in front of him was. "…B-Boyd." Christine's heart stopped at the name came out of William's mouth. _No, it's can't be._ She didn't want to believe it. This was the man she freed years ago. The man that kissed her and was so gentle with her. The man that she dreamed about every night for ten years. _Oh god…_ The realization hit. The man she freed was none other than Erik Boyd, the most feared man in England and her father's enemy.

 **So now Christine realizes who she helped escape. Find out soon (maybe tomorrow) for Erik's reaction and see what he'll do once he realizes he has both Gustave's daughter and nephew as hostages.**

 **Also, I forgot if I had mentioned the color of Erik's eyes in previous chapters so I just gave his eyes a color hence the 'ice blue eyes'.**

 **Reviews are welcome : )**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hello everyone, here is the next chapter. I almost thought I wouldn't get it uploaded for you guys but I did it. I knew you guys wanted to read Erik's reaction and here it is.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy**

Chapter 13: His _English_ Angel

There was something familiar about her, but he couldn't figure it out. He could have sworn he'd seen her before, but where? She was English, that he knew and it narrowed down his lists of women he knew to zero. He didn't know any woman that was English, why should he? He hated the English and they hated him. Still, for some reason, he had seen her before.

Christine still couldn't believe that the man she helped escaped years ago was Erik Boyd. She knew there was a Boyd who her father hated, but she didn't think it was this Boyd. She wondered now if helping him was a mistake. That if she didn't help, the war would have been over years ago and maybe life would be different. _Maybe I wouldn't be engaged to a French princ-oh no._ She realized that now she was held hostage, she wouldn't be leaving for France to go marry the prince. For a moment, she was thankful of the Scottish rebels capturing her…but just for a moment.

"Say your goodbyes to each other." Erik's voice broke her out of her thoughts.

"W-What? Goodbyes?" Confused, she thought they'd be going with them together.

"We will drop you off at the next village." He answered, about to turn to his men. "We have Gustave's nephew, that'd be enough for a reward or maybe a truce."

"It would be better if we had his daughter." One of the soldiers mentioned. "We'd have him at our feet if she was our hostage." She swallowed hard, afraid of what they would really do if they really knew who she was.

"I hear she's a pretty little thing." A soldier commented. _I am not little._ Erik made no comment, just glanced at her. "Though this one must be royal, look at her dress." He did have a point. Her dress was nicer than what a normal woman would wear, almost too nice.

"That is true." Erik turned to face her. _God, does he have to stare at me with those eyes?_

"A duchess? Countess?" A soldier guessed. _Princess…_ she mentally corrected him though she wasn't planning on tell them. Stepped closer to her, she had to tilt her head far back to look up at him. He still towered over her; her chin just barely in height with his shoulder…his broad shoulder.

"Who are you?" He asked her.

"I-I-I…" She couldn't come up with a name to give him. Stepping closer, she knew he was using his height to get a name out of her.

"Get away from my cousin." William tried to intimidate the captain.

"Your cousin?" He looked down at the boy, clearly not intimidated at all. Looking back at her. "I see…" She swallowed hard again. "Well say goodbye to your cousin." He stepped back. Christine let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"You can't just leave me somewhere!" _Settle down, remember who you are talking to you._ Sighing, she looked up at him. "Please let us go." He shook his head.

"I'll let you go." That wasn't good enough for her.

"Why just me?" She asked, stepping forward.

"Unless you are worth more than him, then I have no use for you." As much has that hurt, she wouldn't show it. She was worth more; she was the princess of England.

"How dare you say that to her?" William exclaimed, making Erik turn his face towards the boy. Christine glanced at William, hoping he wouldn't tell Erik her identity. "She could have your head on a spike for talking to her like that."

"William please, it's alright." She tried settling him down.

"No it's not, Christine."

"Christine?" Erik repeated her name. She looked back at the captain as if confirming that was her name. He tilted his head slightly, as if he was trying to recognize her. He remembered a Christine, years ago back at the prison. It was the name of girl who helped him escape, his angel. He had never called anyone else his angel, only her and it would be only that would get that name. For a second, he thought that maybe…she shook his head slightly. Surely this English wasn't his angel. However, there were similarities between this woman and his angel: hair, eyes and they shared the same name.

"The princess is named Christine." One soldier pointed out which made Erik curious. He knew she wouldn't come forward with it. There was one way he could find out.

"No, she couldn't be the princess." He started to walk around her, like a lion circling its prey before going in for the kill. "Though I have never met the princess, I have heard some rumors about her." He stopped right behind her. She tried not to notice how close he was, but he was very close. Whispering something in her ear, her mouth dropped.

"How dare you?" Turning around, her hand made contact with his cheek in a hard slap. Everyone gasped in shock and several feared for her life. "I am not a whore!" Within seconds, Erik's hand gripped her throat. Her hands flew to grab his wrist.

"Let go of her! Gustave would have your head for harming his daughter!" William blurted out.

"William!" His grip loosened around Christine's neck, now having his answer.

"She's the princess?" One soldier asked; a few whispered around.

"So you are the princess." Erik said to her. Letting go of his wrist, she straightened up.

"Yes, I am the princess of England." She confirmed it. "And I order you to let us go." She tried using her authority, hoping it would work.

"You're in Scotland, _princess._ " He released her neck. "And why would I release you?"

"Because you owe me." She answered. He smirked.

"Why would I owe the princess of England anything?" He asked her, a few soldiers chuckling. She hoped this would work; it was the only other plan she had left. Taking a deep breath, she tried to remember the Gaelic.

"Mo ai-ng-eal." She tried pronouncing but she knew she butchered it. It was nothing like how he said it to her ten years ago. She got a reaction though and one she wanted. His eyes widen as his mouth slightly dropped. He remembered, he remembered her. He stepped closer to her, ignoring the looks for the soldiers. He couldn't believe it, it was her. Taking a risk, she held up her hand, palm facing him. Looking down at it, he knew what she was doing. Reaching up, his hand flattened against hers. Confused looks watched them, staying quiet. A slight smile appeared on her face. His eyes locked with hers, remembering everything; the gifts, the night visits, the kiss. God, that kiss. He never forgotten about that kiss, he could never forget about that kiss.

Then, he remembered something. She was English, she was the English princess. She was the daughter of the man he hated and who wanted him dead. And yet, she helped him escape. The princess of England helped England's most wanted escape a prison. _Princess…England…Gustave's daughter…oh god._ She was his angel…his English angel.

 **Now that Erik realizes that Christine is his angel (and the princess), do you think he'll keep to his original plan? Find out tomorrow**

 **Reviews are welcome : )**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hello everyone. I know I didn't upload this chapter yesterday, I had a emergency and had to take care of that all day yesterday so I wasn't able to even start this chapter until today. I am going to try and upload the next chapter later today for you guys, hopefully I can.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter**

Chapter 14: Attempt Escape, part 1

Slowly, his hand pulled away from hers to fall back to his side. Stepping back, tried to think of what to do. He had Gustave's daughter as his hostage, it couldn't have been planned better. However, she was also the woman who helped him escape from the prison years ago. He owed her in some way and letting her go was what she wanted. He was torn on what to do. _Well the next village is a day ride from here…_ he could think about it on the way to the village and decide what to do. Turning to his men who were waiting patiently with confused looks on their faces, he gave his order.

"They're coming with us. Mount up, we're leaving." Christine's eyes widen as she realized they weren't being released.

"B-But…" She grabbed Erik's arm, making him stop and turned back around to face her. "You can't do this. After what I've done for you." He hated how right she was. He should let her go.

"I have not decided on what to do with you. The boy is coming with us, but I'm not sure about you." He told her, ignoring the fact her hand was still on his arm.

"So you are just going to drag me along and when you decide, leave me somewhere?" She released his arm.

"No, you'd be left at a village not far from here."

"And how do you know they won't kill me once they find out who I am?" She asked him. He could see the fear in her eyes. He stepped forward, almost closing the space between their bodies.

"Trust me…" He softly spoke to her, making her lips part slightly. Could she trust him? Taking a step back, he turned to walk over to his horse. A soldier walked over to her to help her up onto a horse. Her eyes watched as Erik lifted himself up onto his horse.

"Hold on there, lass." The soldier warned her. Looking behind her, she saw William with another soldier.

"Tiugainn! (Let's go!)" With the order, the group rode off. Christine held onto the soldier in front of her as they rode away. A few times, she glanced around to see if she find anything she recognized, but nothing looked familiar. She has never been this far into enemy territory and she knew they were going deeper into Scotland.

After what seemed like hours of riding, Erik ordered a halt. Thankful to get off the horse, she didn't bother waiting for the soldier to help her off. Landing on the ground, she stumbled a little before gaining her balance. Fixing her dress, she noticed how dirty the fabric was becoming and sighed. This was one of her favorite dresses and now, she doubted she could save the fabric from being ruined. Looking around at her surroundings, she noticed a stream just a few yards from the group. Some of the men were letting their horses drink while others used the water to drink as well. Glancing over to where Erik was standing, she took in his appearance. He was still the towering giant he was years ago, the strong built never changed. She remembered seeing his strength at the prison and knew that he was still the strong man that the rumors claimed to be. His dark chocolate hair seemed to almost match hers, though not as curly. The thick locks stopped short of his shoulders, his broad muscular shoulders. She noticed a beard starting to grow, but she could still make the outline of his jaw. His right side of his face though was puzzling to her; it was covered by a black leather mask. She wondered why he wore it and just on that side. _Maybe I'll find out before he leaves me alone somewhere…_

Remembering that, she realized she had to get away from here. She knew they were miles from any village, but she knew that her father would be looking for her and William. If they escaped, they could try and catch up with the English and be saved. Seeing Erik busy talking with some soldiers while the others pay no attention to her, she figured it was now or never. Walking over to William, she quickly whispered the plan to him. At first, he wasn't sure of it. It was risky and who knows what Erik would do if he caught them. But it was a risk they would take if they wanted to be get back home. Walking down to the stream, she saw two soldiers standing there.

"Pardon me, but could I have a moment in privacy?" She asked him kindly. They looked at each other before nodding and walking away to give her some privacy. Taking the chance, William and Christine quickly tried crossing the stream without drawing attention to themselves. By the time they reached the other side, they made a run for it. She couldn't believe how well her plan was working, but she knew Erik would notice them gone and come after them.

It didn't take long for Erik to noticed that Christine and William weren't around and when he heard that she was last seen by the stream, he was furious with the two soldiers. Mounting his horse, he galloped rode across the stream as the other soldiers followed him, both on foot and horseback. Glancing up at the sky, he noticed the sun had already set and soon it would be too dark to find them. Dismounting his horse, he figured it would be easier to track them on foot.

"Sure would be easier if Hunter was here." A soldier commented, making Erik nod. Hunter was the best tracker and hunter in all of Scotland and probably England. Erik always enjoyed hunting with him because he could track food faster than anyone else…and he was good company on hunts. However, Hunter was currently on another mission for Bruce and he wouldn't see the man until reaching camp.

"Captain, I found footprints!" A soldier shouted.

"Follow them! They couldn't have gotten far!" He ordered. The men continued to search for the two, hoping to find them before it got too dark. At one point, Erik found a tore piece of fabric that he knew was from Christine's dress. Taking the torn fabric, he knew she was nearby. He decided to stay still, not making a sound. Closing his eyes, he let his hearing be his eyes. He listened to every sound that the woods made from the flapping of a bird's wing to the humming a bug flying pass his face. Though he wasn't as experienced as Hunter, he was taught the different sounds. Suddenly, his ears picked up the sound of something moving close by. It was too loud for a deer or any creature he knew. _It must be her…_ Opening his eyes, he saw her. Seeing him, she turned and ran, only to have him run after her. He quickly gained speed and was catching up to her. Just as he was about to grab her, she tripped over a fallen branch. Landing on the ground, she quickly turned onto her back only to have him land on top of her. She yelped as she felt the force and weight of him crushing down on her. Quickly, his arms lifted him up as he looked down at her, making sure she was alright. Trying to catch her breath, her eyes looked up at his. It was then they realized the position of their bodies. At some point, one of Christine's leg must have shifted and ended up resting against the outside of his leg while this other thigh was pressed against a very private part of her body. She could feel something hard against her lower stomach. They kept their eyes locked on each other, forgetting about the world around them. Her lips parted slightly as her breathing settled. "Bòidheach...(beautiful)" He whispered softly. Hearing the word, she was curious of that he meant. The way he said it though, there was something in his voice that made her heart race.

He had never intended on falling on top of her, but he did and now he seemed unable to move off of her. It was like his body didn't want to move, wanting to be next to her, feeling the contact of her body. _What is this woman doing to me? And why did I just say that?_ Before he could answer his own questions, he felt something stabbing his back. _What the-?_ Turning his head, he saw William standing behind him, holding the sword and pointing it so the tip was digging into his back.

"Get off my cousin or I'll kill you right here." He threatened. For a moment, Erik was stunned. He almost could have been killed and by a boy too. He never let his guard down, but somehow he did and now he had a sword digging into his back. Pushing the sword away from him, he got off Christine and stood towering over the boy. Not saying a word, he walked pass the boy, but heard a big sigh of relief as he walked away. Christine sat up, slowly coming back from whatever cloud she was on. "What was that about?" William asked her. She looked at him, the confused look on his face matched her. She wasn't sure what exactly happened, but something did happen. Standing up, she brushed her dress off. One of the soldiers who she knew was called Seten was standing there.

"What does…boi-d-he-ach mean?" She asked him. He looked at her before she added. "He said but I didn't understand."

"Beautiful." He answered. "Bòidheach means beautiful." _He called me beautiful…_

 **If it helps to picture Erik's appearance, I used Gerard Butler's character from _Timeline_ to help so use that reference to get an idea of Erik's appearance. **

**Reviews are welcome : )**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hello everyone. Hope you guys are having a good weekend. I'm sorry I've been a little slow uploading the stories. Finals are literally next week so I'm focusing my time on finishing up classes and studying, plus I got injured so I was limited on movement and sitting at a desk, typing up a chapter actually hurt so I stayed away from the laptop. Anyway, I got to upload this one and I hope you guys enjoy it. I was unsure how to go with this chapter but here is it. Wildest Dreams will be upload soon.**

 **Enjoy the chapter**

Chapter 15: Talk with the Phantom

Any thought of him being the caring man she remembered him as vanished when he woke her up early. The sun wasn't even up, yet all the men were up and ready. Stretching against the trunk of a tree, she could hardly see him. He almost blended into the darkness. _Like a phantom…_ Standing up, she brushed the skirt of her dress and tried to walk without tripping over a branch or stone.

"What are we doing?" She asked a soldier who was checking the girth of the saddle.

"We're riding, lass." He answered.

"This early?" The Scot nodded. "Why?"

"Captain's orders." He answered again.

"We ride early to get a head start, especially when we have the English army on our tails." Erik said as he walked over.

"You have kidnapped the princess and the king's nephew. Of course you have the English army on your tail."

"Watch that mouth, lass. It will land you in trouble one day." She didn't know if that was a warning or a threat.

"Are you threatening the princess of England?" She stood her ground. "You could be hanged for threatening the princess of England."

"You're in Scotland, _princess._ Your title doesn't scare anyone here, especially me." He was right, she was powerless here. "Now mount up, we're going to a ride." He ordered before walking away. Watching him walk away, she let out a groan and turned to face the soldier.

"Need a leg up?" He asked her, making her nod. Helping her up onto the horse, she fixed her dress before he mounted as well. "Hold on, lass. It may be a wee bumpy."

"How long will we be riding?" She asked him.

"All day, lass. We'll make stops for the horses and us to rest." The soldier answered. _All day? That's…that sounds exhausting._ It would be exhausting. She has had travelled for days before, but that was in a carriage and not on the back of a horse. Knowing it was useless to argue, she could only hold on to the soldier. Once everyone was mounted and ready, Erik gave the order and they rode off.

The land of Scotland was not what she was used to. She was used to the roads of England, not the woods of Scotland. Sometimes they could be cantering if the land was open with trees. Though there weren't branches to duck their heads, the ground was bumpy. She hung onto the soldier, not wanting to fall off. Whenever they hit the woods, the trees made them slow down to a walk. The soldier would help move the branches out of the way for her. At one point, Erik had them take a break using the safety of the trees. The soldier helped Christine off and let her walk, stretching her legs. Though she was allowed to walk around, she had guards on her to make sure she would try and escape. Erik had her and William separated so they wouldn't try and plan an escape.

"How much longer will be riding?" Christine asked one of the soldiers.

"Until dark." The soldier answered. "Then we'll stop for the night."

"Is there a village nearby to spend the night?" She asked them.

"No, lass. The next village is still a long ride away." Their heads turned as Erik walked up to them. "A moment with the _princess._ " The soldiers nodded and walked away, giving them some privacy but stayed close by. She looked up at him, waiting for him to say whatever he wanted to say. "Never would I imagine that the girl that night in the prison was the princess of England." Slightly blushing, she knew which night he was talking about.

"I didn't know you were Erik Boyd. I thought you maybe another Boyd…that you had a brother."

"I did." She noticed the agony in is voice, knowing it may be a touchy subject she had started.

"What happened to him?" She asked, curious to know. He may be the most dangerous man in England, but she still wanted to learn more about him.

"Your father had him executed." The coldness in his voice was clear as can be. She knew he hated her father and he had good reason if her father had his brother killed. But somehow, she knew there was more than just that.

"I know nothing I say can take back what happened to your brother, but know that I am sorry that he was killed." He stared at her, a bit surprised that she was apologizing for her father killing his brother. He was expecting this. _Maybe she's not like her father._ "Have I said something wrong?" She asked, noticing his stare and quietness.

"Why?"

"Why what?" She asked, confused on his question.

"Why did you help me?" He asked her. He had wanted to know for 10 years since she helped him that night. Now that he was reunited with her, he could finally get his question answered. "You committed treason by helping me and the others in the prison." She knew that and yet she had risked it. Taking a deep breathe, she looked down at the ground, at his boots.

"My father says I have my mother's kind heart, that no matter who the criminal is, I still feel a need to help in some way." Her eyes travelled back up to meet his. "You didn't deserve any of the punishment my father sentenced. You were protecting them like they were your brothers. I guess you could call it pity on you but it wasn't." His face remained emotionless as he listened, taking in everything she was saying. "I knew that prisoner wouldn't survive the week, he looked like he was barely surviving already. I couldn't see him suffer for something that wasn't his fault."

"You do have a kind heart, even for rebel prisoners." He said, making her cheeks blushed.

"I see you as a rebel." His head tilted slightly.

"Then what do you see me as?" He asked, curious to know.

"A man, fighting for what he believes…fighting for his country." Her answer surprised him and for the first time in years, she saw a hint of a smile. They stood there, staring at each other. Slowly, he lifted his hand up and held it up to her. Smiling slightly, she placed her hand against his. For a moment, she thought their fingers would entwine. But his hand pulled away when his name was called. Turning around, he started to walk away. "Wait!" Stopping, he turned to look at her. "Do you regret that…kiss?"

"No." She tried to ignore the feeling of her hear soaring at his answer. She watched him walk away while she remained where she was. She had feared that once he found out she was English, he would regret that kiss they shared years ago. But he didn't regret and neither did she.

 **Reviews are welcome**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hello everyone, hope your weekend was good. To start off your week, here's the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it and I'll try and upload the next chapter either tomorrow or the next day.**

 **Enjoy**

Chapter 16: New Plan

She knew she shouldn't get too comfortable since she knew they would be leaving again soon. After her talk with Erik, Christine thought things would change between her and Erik. She hoped things would change and maybe, just maybe, he would let her and nephew go. However, she knew how much this would help the Scots with winning the war. She hoped that because of their history, Erik would still let them go.

When Erik gave the order, Christine knew not to object. Letting the soldier help her up onto the horse, she kept quiet as the men got ready. They were still in the safety of the trees which meant no gallop which Christine was happy about. With the group now on the move, Christine rested her head against the shoulders of the soldier, letting out a sigh.

"What's wrong, lass?" He asked her.

"I never thought my day would end like this." She answered. "I miss my family."

"I know the feeling, missing your family at least."

"You have a family?" She asked him, hoping to make conversation with him. If she was going to be a hostage and be with them with a while, she might as well try and get to know them.

"Aye, lass. We almost all do, except the captain and Seten." He answered. _So he is single, well at least he doesn't have a wife. He could have a…woman._ Shaking her head, she wanted to erase the thought of Erik being with another woman. _He's not yours though._ Sighing, she knew he wasn't hers. That moment they had was years ago and they have changed since then. "Is there something wrong, lass?" The soldier asked.

"No nothing is wrong." She lied, hoping the soldier would believe her. Before he could say anything, their heads turned to see Erik riding up to them. "Sir…" He straightened up, making Christine take her head off his shoulder.

"You ride with me now." He said, making the soldier nod and halt his horse. With both horses halted, Christine was able to move from the soldier's horse to Erik. Once she was settled, he rode off back to the front of the ground.

"Is there a reason why I couldn't ride with him anymore?" She asked him, making sure not to rest her head on his shoulder like she did with the soldier. When he didn't respond, she sighed and looked away, looking at the trees. _At least with the other guy, he would talk to him._ As they continued to ride, she started to get tired. Yawning, she tried not to lean into him but she could feel her body lean into him. Losing the battle, she leaned her head on his shoulder. He could feel her body leaning against him and could feel his body reacting. He remembered the times her body was against his, both times his body reacted in a way that he wished didn't reacted. The first time was back in the pit at the prison and he knew it was wrong with her age. Then the time where he put her over his lap and he immediately regretted. The third time was when he accidentally fell on top of her and his body seemed to freeze in that position. Thinking about it made him hard and he shook his head to get the image of her body under his. His movement woke Christine and make her straighten up. For some reason, he was mad at himself that he had woken her. "Are we stopping soon?" She asked him. Glancing behind him to look at her, he could see both how her and his men were tired. Halting his horse, it gave her his answer.

"Well stop here for the night." She let out a sigh of relief, happy that she'll be able to sleep now. She was tired, being a hostage was exhausting to her. _I never want to be a hostage again._ Focused on her tiredness, she didn't realize that Erik had already dismounted and was waiting for her. When she didn't move, he helped her down. She almost yelped when she felt his hands and arms help her down off the tall horse. _Big horse for a big man…with strong arms. Those strong, muscular arms…_ Her cheeks blushed at the thought of his arms around her in a more intimate way than this. Noticing her blush, he couldn't help but smirk as he set her on the ground.

"Thank you." Her voice was soft and sent his heart racing. _God, what is happening to me._ With her legs on the ground, his arms pulled away from her body. Looking around, she tried to find a place where she could sleep for the night. Nothing looked comfortable, but she didn't have a choice. There was no village or castle so the ground will do. Noticing the look on her face, he turned to his saddle and pulled out a plaid. With the plaid, he walked over to a tree trunk and laid the plaid on the ground.

"You can sleep here for the night. It's not as comfortable as a bed, but-"

"Thank you Erik." She smiled softly, walking over to him. The kindness meant a lot to her. She assumed that hostages were treated…well unkindly, but he wasn't doing that. He kept showing sides of him that made the stories of him seem completely false. _Well, he did kidnap you._

"You should get some sleep; we'll be riding out early." His voice brought him back. Only nodding, she watched him walk back to his horse to tend to him, getting his horse ready for the night. Sitting against the trunk, she leaned back against the bark, giving her a view of the men and Erik. She watched as William got off the horse but was ordered to stay away from her. Watching the men settle down for the night, the exhaustion came back to her. Closing her eyes, she let sleep come to her.

Christine was awoken from her sleep by a soldier. Opening her eyes, she saw the soldier she rode with yesterday standing in front of her. He was letting her know that they were riding out soon. Nodding and yawning, she then felt something covering her. Looking down, she saw a plaid covering her body, keeping her warm. For a moment, she wondered whose plaid it was. Looking around, she looked for Erik. For some reason, she knew it was his and wanted to thank him. Finding him by his horse, she got up and folded the two plaids up. Walking over to him, she stood in front of him until he looked at her.

"Thank you for the plaids." She held out the plaids to him. Taking the plaids, he put them away in his saddle bag.

"You're welcome." He turned back to her. "Are you ready to ride out?" He asked her.

"Do I have a choice?" She asked him, making him shake his head. "Who will I be riding with today?" She asked. He motioned towards his horse. "Leg up please?" Nodding, he helped her up onto the horse and waited for him to mount as well. As she waited, she glanced down at her dress, seeing the dirt covering her dress. Her eyes caught the sight of a ribbon and suddenly came up with an idea. Leaning down slightly, her fingers traced along the ribbon. _There's a lot fabric…_

"Ready?" His question distracted her.

"Yes." She answered and he gave the order for the men to move out. Now on the move again, Christine decided to think out her plan. _If only I wasn't riding with him and back with the other soldier._ Maybe she could arrange it, but it might draw suspicion from him. _Ask him tomorrow to ride with the other soldier. He's more talkative._ Glancing back down at the ribbon, she mentally calculated how long each strand of ribbon she would need. _They can't be too long or else I'll run out._ Looking back up, she noticed the branches were without leaves which would work. _The ribbon would be more noticeable. This could work. This could help lead her father to her and William's rescue._ With that, she agreed and would start tomorrow.

 **Will Christine's plan work? Anyone curious if Erik has a woman or not?**

 **Reviews are welcome : )**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: I decided to spoil you guys and give you two chapters in one day. Warning, the next chapter will get a little graphic (war graphic). This story is rated M and there is war graphic, as well sexual content. Of course I'll always let you know if a chapter gets M rated in case you want to skip because of reasons, but reminding everyone this is a M rated. (I only do M rated stories apparently)**

 **Anyway, enough from me. Enjoy the chapter**

Chapter 17: Harshness of War

"You want to ride with Malcolm?" He repeated her request, a bit surprised at it.

"Is that his name?" Christine asked, never knowing the name of the soldier she rode with at first until Erik took over for whatever reason he had. "But yes I do."

"Why?" He asked. _Don't break, don't be weak._

"Because he actually talks to me unlike you." He raised an eyebrow, the only eyebrow she could see for his other was covered by the mask. "It helps the time pass when you have something to talk to and responds back." She added. He thought for a moment about her request.

"Alright fine, you can ride with Malcolm." His answer surprised her. He agreed and didn't seem to be suspicion. She hoped she didn't offend him, but if she wanted her plan to work, she had to put his feelings aside.

"Thank you."

"Malcolm!" He shouted, making her jump. _Did he have to do that?_ The soldier ran over at the sound of his name being called. "Tha ia 'marcachd còmhla ribh an-diugh. Cumaibh air falbh bhon bhalach. (She is riding with you. Keep her away from the boy.)"

"Seadh, a Mhaighstir. (Yes, sir)" Only nodding, Erik walked away as Malcolm looked at Christine. Holding out his arm, she smiled and accepted. He led her to his horse and helped her up onto the animal. Looking ahead, she saw Erik mount his horse. Her view was blocked by Malcolm's head. Soon, they off and she went through with her plan. Having already ripped the ribbon into pieces, she only needed to place them carefully and without drawing attention from Malcolm.

By mid-day, they had ridden for miles and Erik knew a village would soon be approaching. This meant possible supplies for his men and a resting place as well. It also meant he would have to decide on whether or not to let her go here or take her with him back to camp. He had pushed back the decision since the moment he said he would think about it, having not want to make the decision. He was torn between letting her go in payment of helping him years ago or keeping her to help bring Gustave to a truce. _Why is this so hard to decide? She's just an English princess and you could have Gustave on his knees._ No, she wasn't just an English princess. She was the girl who helped years ago. The girl who's lips he couldn't forget and whose memory haunted his dreams for the past 10 years. _God, Erik, why are you wanting to keep the lass?_ Yes, he did know why, for the sake of Bruce's truce with Gustave. _There's another reason though. You want to learn more about the lass…learn more about your angel._ He shook his head slightly. No, he wasn't her angel anymore. _Yes, she is._ Arguing with himself, he was aware of something in the distance. His men seemed to notice and tried to get his attention. Malcolm and Christine saw see a cloud of black above the tree line. Motioning his horse into a trot, he rode up to the captain.

"Sir?" A voice brought him out of his thoughts and looked in the direction of the voice. He saw Malcolm, then Christine and the look on her face make him wonder. "Sir, look." Malcolm pointed up to the cloud and Erik followed his direction to see it.

"What is that?" Christine asked. Erik halted, making the others halt as well as Erik looked at the cloud.

"Fire…" He answered. Checking his surroundings, he noticed things that indicated that the village was close. Motioning his horse into a canter, he rode to the clearing which gave a view of the village. His men followed behind. Stopping, his eyes found the source.

"Oh god…" Turning his head, he could see Christine's horror as she looked upon the burning village. "H-How…?"

"Your father." He answered. Christine looked at him with shock.

"No he couldn't have. My father would never do this, especially to innocent people." She refused to think her father was responsible for this.

"And how would you know what your father has done?" He turned his horse around to face her. Malcolm and his men stayed quiet, knowing better to keep their mouths shut. Even William quickly learned to keep his mouth shut. She just looked at him, unsure how to answer his answer and whether answering his question was a good idea. "You don't know everything that's happened. You sit comfortably in your castle without a worry of someone attacking while we get our homes burned. Our women get raped by your soldiers, our supplies taken. Everything we've built over the centuries gets destroyed by the order of your father." The men looked down, some have gone through the experience of their homes destroyed by the English. Christine looked shocked by his claims, as well as ashamed. She always thought of her father as an honorable man, but hearing what Erik was saying make her think. _He couldn't have known of these things…could he?_

"H-He wouldn't though…" She tried not to believe it. "He never spoke…" He scoffed.

"Why would he tell you? He wouldn't want his precious princess to be ashamed of her father. After all, the English are so honorable that they were capable of doing such cruel things. But we Scots are, because of your father, we are." Christine was silent, taking in every word he said. She still couldn't believe it; she didn't want to believe it. But looking down at the burning village was proof. All those lives, those innocent Scottish lives. He was right, she knew nothing about the war. All the stories were nothing compared to what she was seeing right now. _God, are we really to blame for this war?_ But she knew there was more to the story than burning homes and killing innocent lives. She sensed a personal reason for Erik and probably everyone had a personal reason to hate the English. But Erik's was the one she wanted to know about and maybe, hopefully, convince him that not all English are bad. After all, she is his angel even if she is English.

 **Looks like Christine's going to see the Scots side of the war and maybe, learn more about Erik's history with the English. Find out soon...**

 **Reviews are welcome**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Hello everyone! So I managed to get another chapter uploaded. It was either sleep or upload chapter and you can guess which option I took. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy and I'll have more uploads for this chapter and Wildest Dreams very soon.**

 **Enjoy the chapter**

Chapter 18: The Burning Village

Christine couldn't believe everything Erik told her about the war and her father. She still didn't want to think that her father was the reason behind the war; that he would have ordered his men to burn villages, steal supplies from the Scottish people. Looking down at the burn village, she could hear the screams of the people.

"We should help them." The words came out of her mouth before she could realize what she was saying. Erik looked at her, as did Malcolm.

"There's nothing we can do." He said to her.

"Yes there is." She argued back. "You can still save some homes and the people. There's a river nearby that you can use for water."

"Why do you care about helping us?" He asked her.

"You may be the enemy but you are still humans. I told you, I'm not like my father." She answered him. "If you need proof, remember Kilchurn." He did remember that, he always remembered that. Looking down at the village, she was right. They still could save the village even if more of the supplies were already destroyed.

"Alright, we'll help." Realizing he agreed with her, she couldn't help but smile slightly at him. He looked at Malcolm and the soldier who was with William, telling them were to go while the rest of men would help with putting the fire out. With the order out, Malcolm rode over to a spot away from the flames. They weren't far but enough to be safe from the flames. Erik wanted them to stay away, but also close by so he could still see them.

Splitting the men up; half of the men went to help the villagers gather anything they could save and get a distance from the flaming buildings. The rest of the men, including him, set out to put the fire out. Getting every bucket, they could find, they would rush to the river to fill the buckets and try hard not to spill any water as they made their way back to the village. Once the villagers were to safety, the men who helped them went to help the rest. Some of the villager men would help as well, but the women and children stayed away. From her view, she could see every soldier running around, trying to save the burning buildings. She could see Erik right along his men, shouting order as well throwing buckets of water onto the fire. She watched as the men worked tireless to put the fire out, not taking a break to catch their breaths or rest their bodies. When one building was saved, they'd move to the next and the next. It was a large village and almost every building was on fire.

"They won't be able to save everything." Malcolm commented, standing next to her. She glanced at him, knowing his was right. The fire spread quicker than the men would save.

"I wish I could help."

"But the captain ordered you to stay here." He said. "You don't want to disobey his orders."

"Even if that means helping them?" She asked him. "An extra set of hands could help a lot." She knew he and Jacob wanted to help, but since they were the youngest, Erik ordered them on guard duty. "We won't run." She assured him. "We're unfamiliar with the land so we couldn't get far."

"I'm sorry, lass. But the captain ordered you to stay here and for us to guard you." She sighed. _Are all Scots stubborn? No maybe they don't want Erik to be furious._ She had never seen him furious, but something about him made her not want to see Erik furious. Looking back down at the village, all she could do was stand and watch.

Hours and hours passed by and the men kept working. More of the villagers started helping the men. More and more buildings were being able to be saved and only now a few more buildings were still on fire. Christine and William still kept their distance from the village, still being watched by Malcolm and Jacob. As they continued to watch, Christine could faintly hear someone yelling. It wasn't loud enough to draw attention of the two soldiers. Looking around for where the voice could be coming from, she noticed a barn in the distance, the edge of the village. Smoke and flames were coming out of the windows and somehow she knew, there was someone in there.

"Don't you hear that?" Christine asked Malcolm who took a minute to listen, but he couldn't hear anything.

"I don't hear anything." He said. Sighing, she started walking in the direction of the barn. He quickly went after her. "The captain-"

"The captain can get over it." She immediately said back, at this point no longer caring what Erik said. She knew there someone in the barn and she wasn't going to let him burn alive when she could help him. Malcolm grabbed her arm, stopping her. Before he could say anything, they both heard a shout coming from the barn. "I told you!" She made a run for the barn.

"Lass!" He shouted out, but Christine kept running towards the barn. Sighing, he ran after her. The doors were opened and smoke was coming out. Stopping just beyond the smoke, she ripped a piece of her dress off and used the fabric to cover her nose and mouth. Going inside, she tried not to let the smoke affect her.

"Is there anyone here?" She yelled out, hoping whoever was in the barn could hear her.

"Hello?!" She heard a voice and turned in the direction of it.

"Hello!"

"Over here!" The voice shouted back and Christine tried making her way towards the voice.

"Lass!" She stopped when she heard the sound of Malcolm. "Where are you?" He shouted out.

"I am over here!" She called back and soon saw his figure amongst the smoke. "He's over here! We can stay him!"

"Erik will be furious!" Rolling her eyes, she turned back around to find a man on ground with a beam over him. Rushing to him, she knelt down, trying to see how long the beam is. Looking back at Malcolm, she hoped he would help her. "Malcolm please. I can't lift this off of him by myself." She plead with him. Agreeing to help her so they could get out of here, he walked over and grabbed the beam.

"Ready…. lift!" He shouted and they tried lifting the heavy beam up, but it wouldn't move. "Lift!" They tried again, no movement. Malcolm knew that they couldn't move the beam, it was too heavy. "We can't lift it! It's too heavy for just for the two of us!" He shouted over the flames. Looking up, he could see the barn starting to crumb. Flaming boards began falling all around them. "We should leave!"

"No! We have to stay him!" She refused to leave him. "Please Malcolm!" Before he could anything, part of the ceiling collapsed. The wood landed on him, pinning him under the heavy wood. Screaming as she tried to get out of the way, she saw the beams falling onto Malcolm. "Oh god!" Rushing back over, she tried to move pieces, but they were too heavy. She needed someone stronger…she needed Erik.

 **Will Erik help her? Find out soon**

 **Reviews are welcome**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter and I hope you guys enjoy it. Next chapter should be upload soon.**

 **Enjoy**

Chapter 19: Rescuing His Angel

His body was exhausted; his muscles were aching with every movement he made. No matter how much his body needed rest, he will continue to push his body until all the fire is out. All his men were tired, but no one them stopped. With only one building left, he would be happy when he could rest. He would let his men rest for the rest of the day, they deserved it.

"Captain!" He heard someone calling for him. Turning towards the solder that was running to him, he realized it was Jacob. _Why isn't he with William?_ Looking over to where he told them to take the hostages, he noticed Christine and Malcolm weren't there, just William. _Where are Malcolm and Christine?_ Looking back at Jacob, he better know where Malcolm and Christine went. Reaching his captain, he quickly tried to catch his breath.

"Where are they?" He demanded.

"T-The barn…she heard someone yelling for help…" _Oh god, she didn't._ "She and Malcolm wen-" _God, she did._ Without letting him finished, he darted in the direction of the burning barn. Another soldier and Jacob tried to follow him, but Erik's long strides created distance between him and them.

By the time he got to the barn, he knew it was going to crumble soon. Rushing inside, his hand immediately covered his nose to prevent too much smoke getting into his lungs. Looking around, he couldn't find them. _They better not be dead!_

"Christine!" He shouted out.

"Erik?" He heard her voice. "We're over her!" He followed her voice until he saw them. He saw Christine trying to lift a bean that looked twice her size. _Why is sh-?_ He realized why then. Malcolm was underneath the beans and she was trying to free him. Not waiting for her to explain, he walked over to stand next to her. She stepped aside and watched as his hand grabbed the beam, not caring if it would burn his skin. Though he was exhausted, he needed to use whatever energy he had left to save Malcolm. Christine stood back and watched in amazement as Erik lifted the beam like he lifted the boulder that day in the prison years ago. _His strength never left him,_ she thought. Tossing the beam, he lifted another one as Malcolm crawled out. More of the ceiling started to fall and he knew they needed to get out. Malcolm got up on his feet, coughing from the smoke.

"Go!" He shouted and Malcolm made his way out of the burning barn. Looking over to Christine, he saw her by the body of the man he figured she tried saving. He already knew he was dead and he and Christine would be soon if they didn't get out. "Christine!" She looked back at him.

"We can save him still!"

'He's dead!" He didn't wait and grabbed her to pull her away from the body. She let out a shriek when she was pulled. "Go!" He shouted at her. Her legs started to run after he ordered her and the two ran out of the barn just before the ceiling collapsed, followed by the rest of the barn.

Safe now, Christine knew she would get a yelling from Erik. She knew she deserved it; she disobeyed his order, put Malcolm and herself in danger and then put him in danger. She wasn't going to look forward to getting yelled at by him, but she knew she was going to get one. When they first got to safety, Erik immediately checked on Malcolm.

"Christine!" William called out as he ran over to her. "Thank god you're alive!" He hugged her.

"I'm alright." She let out a cough, her lungs getting used to the fresh air. Without warning, Erik grabbed her arm to pull her away. At first, she tried to fight against him but she knew that was pointless since he was much stronger than she was. He took her down to the river, out of ear shot of the soldiers and villagers. Once at the river, he let her go. She stood there, waiting for him to say something. He paced back and forth, his eyes not once looking at her.

"What were you thinking?" He asked. He stopped pacing and looked her way.

"I-I-I was thinking I could help and save him. I didn't know the state of him." She answered, keeping her voice calm. "I-I-I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" She just looked at him. "Do you realize you put yourself and Malcolm in danger?" His voice started to rise. "You could have gotten yourself killed! Or gotten him killed!"

"I wasn't trying to get him killed! I didn't think he was going to come after me!" Her voice rose as well. "I was just trying to help and save a man who was trapped inside the barn! He was calling for help and I couldn't just leave him there! I couldn't let him burn alive, knowing that no one came to help him!" She paused, taking a deep breath. "I was just trying to help. I didn't know the barn was going to collapse and everything that happened." She looked at him, trying to get any emotion out of him but his face was emotionless and hard. "Please believe when I say I did not mean to put Malcolm's life in danger. He has done nothing but be nice to me and help me; I would never want harm to come to him." Still no response from him. "Erik, I am sorry. Please believe when I say I am truly sorry." He wanted to believe her, but somehow he couldn't. "Erik…" She took a step closer to him, trying to reach out to him but he stepped back. She couldn't hide the hurt from him. Letting her hand fall to her side, she looked away from him, unable to look at him without fighting the urge to try. Turning her back to him, she tried hard not to cry, not want to show that his actions affected her. Hearing the sounds of his footsteps, she knew he was walking away. With him gone down, she let the tears fall down her cheeks. Though he wasn't near her, he knew he hurt her. Watching her from afar, he knew she was crying. _Talk to her, tell her why…_

 **Reviews are welcome**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hello everyone! Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. So now that I'm finished with classes, I can upload more chapters for this story and Wildest Dreams and maybe even White Mask. I wanted to upload this chapter early, but I got caught up with stuff and currently fighting a sore throat (it sucks) so I ended up sleeping instead of typing this story. Anyway, I managed to finish this chapter after redoing it three times and I hope you enjoy the chapter. It gets a little M rated.**

 **Hope you enjoy**

Chapter 20: Rage to Lust

After he walked away, he knew he hurt her. A part of him want to go back and tell her he was sorry, but a part of him told him he did the right thing. She put them in danger and needed to learn she can't disobey orders. However, he has to remember that she isn't his men and that the way he treats his men is different than he treats a woman. And he always treats his women good. However, she wasn't his woman. _But if she was his, she'd be over your knee an-_ He shook his head, trying to get that image out of his head.

"She is not yours, she is not yours, she is not yours…" He kept repeating.

"Who isn't yours?" He turned to see Seten approaching him. "Did I startle you?" He asked Erik.

"No, I was just…thinking." He sighed. "Are the men settled?" He asked Seten who nodded.

"Yes they are. They are very happy to have a long rest and comfortable night too." He answered. "Where is the lass?" Seten asked.

"The river."

"Unsupervised?"

"I doubt she'll try and swim across the river and leave her nephew."

"I don't know Erik; she is a determined lass. She's tried before and I'm sure she'll try again." Erik knew Seten was right. He knew that Christine would try and escape again, it was just a matter of when.

"She won't today though."

"How do you know?" Seten asked him, unsure how Erik knew that.

"I just know." He answered. Though it didn't satisfy Seten, he knew not to push Erik for the answer he wanted. Looking back towards the river where he last left Christine, he remembered how he left her. "I'll be back." He said as he turned towards the river. Seten just watched him walk back towards the river, noticing something different with his partner.

As he headed back towards the river, he thought of what he was going to say. Yes, he owed her an apology for his actions. However, he wasn't used to saying he was sorry. Rarely did he apology, especially to someone who was English. She'd be the first English person he would ever apologize to. Sighing, he looked down at the ground as he came up to the river. He could hear movement and knew it was her.

"I came here to sa-" His voice made her jump, startling her. His sentence was cut off when she turned around to face him, not realizing what her action would do. Those blue orbits traveled down her body. Forgetting her attire, she glanced down at herself and realized why he had stopped. Her dress was currently on the ground, leaving her only in her chemise. The very wet, very thin, very transparent, very revealing chemise was molded to her body, showing every curve of her body. She might as well be naked. His eyes moved up to her chest, seeing the hard nipples either from the cold water or his stare. Her arms moved to try and cover herself, but his hands stopped her. "Don't..." He released her wrists. "God, please don't." His voice was dark, sending a hot wave through her body to pool between her legs. Her nipples harden more under his gaze, making a groan almost leave his mouth. It took every ounce of control not to reach out and touch her. His eyes moved up to meet with hers, causing the air around them to chance. She saw something in them that she never had seen before. Lust? Desire? Want? She's had men want her before, but this was different. This wasn't what she was used to back in England, this was wild and dangerous. For a moment, she was scared.

However, her fear faded by the gentle touch on her cheek. His hand cupped her cheek gently and she thought he was going to kiss her. Did she want him to kiss her? _Yes…_ yes she did want him to kiss her. She looked up at him, waiting to see what he would do. Her tongue bit her lip, making him more tempted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss her, take her perfect hard nipple in his mouth and make her moan, letting his hands feel her body…God, he wanted her. At this moment, his body didn't care if she was English at all. His body didn't care if she was Gustave's daughter, the princess of England. He wanted to make her moan and scream his name as he made her his. Yes, he wanted that…he wanted her.

 **Things have changed between them now. Anyone think Erik will be able to stay away from her?**

 **Reviews are welcome**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Hello everyone. I'll make this short because I'm supposed to be resting. So I hope you guys enjoy the chapter.**

Chapter 21: A Barbarian's Past

Realizing what he was doing, his hand fell from her cheek and he stepped back from her. He tried to ignore the throbbing and how much he wanted her; but being close to her, seeing her like this made it very hard not to take her right here and now. Taking a few more steps back, it gave him a chance to control his desire.

"I'm sorry." He quickly apologized, not the apology that he intended on saying. "I didn't know wh-" He cleared his throat. He didn't know what overcame him. He turned around to let her pick up her dress and quickly attempt to put it back on. However, it was a dress that required an extra pair of hands to put on. Glancing behind him to see her struggle with her dress, her turned around and walked behind her, helping her. She was surprised that he knew what to do.

"T-Thank you." When he was finished, he stepped back. Turning around, she looked up at him. He could see a hint of fear in her eyes.

"I didn't mean to scare you." He did scare her, he should. He was the most feared man on England and Scotland, she had every reason to be scared of him. And she heard about the rebels taking English women and raping them. "I am many things, but I would never force myself onto a woman." She knew he was speaking the truth; he wasn't everything that the stories made her believe.

"I-I-I know…" Though she shouldn't trust him, she did. Glancing down at herself, she quickly made sure she was covered. "W-Was there something you had wanted to tell me?" She asked him. She remembered he had started saying something before everything else. He had to think for a moment, trying to remember his original purpose.

"I had wanted to apologize for my actions earlier. I did not intend on hurting you." She was taken back by his apology. He didn't seem like the person who apologized so this was a rare moment.

"Apology accepted, thank you." He nodded slightly, turned to walk away. Christine watched him as he walked back towards the men. Once he was out of sight, she let out a breath. She couldn't believe what happened the last couple of minutes. She knew things would change between them, she was unsure how though.

Walking back up to where everyone was, she noticed Erik talking to some of his men. She assumed his men weren't too happy with her after putting Malcolm and Erik's lives in danger so she decided to walk over to a log and sit down on it. Feeling a chill, she rubbed her arms to try and warm herself up. The sun started to set and she had a perfect view of it. She loved Scotland sunsets, not having the buildings of England to block the sun. Watching the sunset, she could hear someone approaching her. Suddenly she felt something around her and noticed it was a plaid. Looking at the source, she saw Erik walk around and sit down on the log next to her.

"Thank you." He only nodded, glancing at the sunset. The two sat there, looking out. As they watched the sunset, she kept glancing to him, her mind thinking. At one point, he noticed and looked at her.

"Yes?"

"Why do you hate us?" She asked him. She noticed his jaw tighten, debating whether to tell her. "I know there's more to your story than what the rumors are."

"My first encounter with the English was when they raided my home." He started. Turning her body more, she faced him as he told her his story. "They burned everything, all of homes were ash and all our crops were taken. My sister-" His voice broke and Christine slowly saw the hard soldier weaken. She could see the pain in his eyes as he told her. "They took my sister hostage." He paused. "When they realized she was the sister of the famous Erik Boyd, they made an example of her." She knew what he meant; she was raped. "The captain made her his whore, using her anyway he wanted. It drove her to drive a stake through herself to end her suffering."

"Oh god, Erik. I'm so sorry. I can't imagine looking a brother and sister like that."

"Now you can understand why I hate the English."

"I'm English." She reminded him. "Does that mean you hate me?" She asked him.

"I don't hate you, Christine." And he didn't.

"You need to work on showing it a little more though. Sometimes I feel as if you hate me."

"Do you think I'd be happy learning that the angel who helped me years ago is the daughter of my worst enemy? The man responsible for the death and capture of many of my countrymen."

"My father does his job to pro-" He raised his hand to stop her.

"I don't need you to defend your father. You and I will never agree on that subject." She rolled his eyes, knowing he was right. Her eyes glanced at his mask, curious on why he wears it.

"May I ask…about your mask?" He stiffened, clearly a topic he wasn't keen to talk about it. "What happened?"

"It was after you helped me escape, about three years afterwards." He tried to think of a way to explain without revealing too much.

"If you can't tell me, it's alright." He only nodded.

"May I ask how old you are?" She asked.

"Two and thirty." He answered. _32, wow…_

"Are you…married?" He looked at her, surprised she asked him that.

"No. I'm not married."

"May I ask why?" She asked him.

"I just never thought about it. I spent years fighting and the thought of marriage never came up. If this war ends, maybe." He answered. Christine would see why Erik pushed marriage aside. _You could have been married by now…_ She suddenly remembered she was supposed to be on a ship to France for her marriage to the French prince. Instead, she was sitting on a log with the most feared man in England and Scotland. Yet, she would rather be here with Erik than married to the French prince.

 **So you guys learned a little more about Erik's past and good news, Erik is not married. But the doesn't mean he may not have someone in his life.**

 **Would you guys rather be with Erik or the French Prince?**

 **I'll try and upload the next one soon as well Wildest Dreams.**

 **Reviews are welcome**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Hello everyone. Keeping this short since I'm still sick and should be resting (almost 2am here). I hope you guys enjoy the chapter.**

Chapter 22: A Comfortable Night

Erik couldn't get the image of Christine out of his head, nor would he ever get that image out of his head. The image that made him wake up hard and in need of a release. The sun had yet to rise and he wasn't going to wake his men up after a day they had yesterday. However, he knew trying to go back to sleep wasn't going to be easy. Each time he closed his eyes, the image of Christine by the river appeared and all he thought about was what he could do to her. He knew he shouldn't think about it, but he couldn't help it. He wanted her, but he knew he shouldn't want her.

"I need a swim." He said to himself as he got up. Since everyone was asleep, he didn't care if he wasn't fully dressed. Walking to the river, he quietly passed Christine who was sleeping against a tree, his plaid covering her as a blanket. He stopped and looked down at her. She looked so peacefully sleeping there, curled up in his plaid. For a moment, he wanted to lay down next to her and let her curl up against him. _Erik, keep your distance._ Forcing himself away, he continued down to the river. Walking into the water, the cold water helped settle his body. Diving under the water, he forced any image of her out of his mind. Coming out of the water, he ran his hands through his hair to push it off his face. Water ran down his chest and stomach, over every muscle. He felt much better now even though he knew he wasn't going to sleep for the rest of the day. Getting out of the water, he looked up to see the sun starting to rise. Quickly rushing back to where his belongings were, he dried off before putting the rest of his clothes on.

Hearing the voice of the men, her eyes slowly opened to see the rays coming through the leaves. Looking around, she noticed the men were starting to get their horses ready. _Guess it's time to get up,_ she thought as she got up, stretching her stiff body. _How many more nights can I sleep on the ground without going crazy?_ She started hating sleeping on the ground. The plaid helped a bit, but not much. She didn't know how they were okay with it but they must be used to it. Rubbing her neck to help loosen her muscles, she saw Malcolm walk over to her.

"Are you ready lass?" He asked her.

"Are we leaving already?" She asked him, making him nod.

"Yes, captain says there's a village several hours away. If we leave now, we can make it by nightfall." He answered.

"And he is letting me ride with you?" She was a bit surprised that he was allowing her to ride with Malcolm after the fire.

"No, you will be riding with me." Erik said as he approached them. Both of their heads turned to look at him. She only nodded and picked up his plaid, folding it to give it back to him. "Ready?" He asked as he took the plaid.

"No, but I assume I don't have a choice." He shook his head. "Hostages don't get much say, do they?" He shook his head again. Sighing, she walked past him and walked straight to his horse, waiting for him. He helped her up and mounted himself. He tried not to think of the fact that she was right behind, her body almost against his. Giving the order, the group left the village.

They kept the horses at a walk for a few hours which gave Christine a chance to take in the scenery. She already concluded that Scotland was beautiful, but the more she saw it, the more she was loving it. She knew that after the war, she would visit Scotland more. Thinking about the war, she thought about her father and how worried he must be. She knew that he must be worried sick and stress beyond image. However, she knew he was doing everything he could to do to get her and William back. Letting out a sigh, she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Something troubling you?" He asked her.

"I just miss my father, that's all." She answered. He didn't respond, knowing it was mainly his fault that she was missing her father. "How much longer until we arrive at the village?" She asked him, keeping her head his shoulder.

"A couple more hours." He answered. "Once we get out of the woods, we can speed up the ride." She nodded slightly, letting out a breath. They kept riding in silence. Only when he ordered a canter, did he tell her to hold on so she wouldn't fall off. Her arms wrapped around his waist to hold on, unaware of how her touch was effecting him. As they rode, he kept trying to think of things to get his mind off her. It was a struggle, but he had to do it.

True to his word, they soon arrived at to the village after nightfall. Christine was trying to stay awake, but the movement of the horse and her head on Erik's shoulder was basically making her fall asleep. When they arrived at the village, she pulled her head away from the comfort of his shoulder to look around. She noticed a small castle with a tower that look five stories high. Halting his horse, he got off his horse and helped her off his horse. She stumped a bit, her feet getting used to the ground after riding for hours. Telling her to stay put, he walked over and knocked on the door of the castle. Obeying his order, she stayed with his horse. Stroking the animal's neck, she smiled when its head turned to nudge against her. After a few minutes, Erik came back and had Jacob bring William over.

"What's going on?" She asked him, curious.

"We'll be staying here for the night." She figured that. She hoped not on the ground though. "Come, I'll show you to your room." He said, turning around.

"O-Our room?" That word took her by surprise. Was she actually going to sleep in a room with a bed? He turned back around to face her.

"Aye. Unless you would rather sleep in the barn or the ground."

"Oh no, the room is fine." She quickly replied. Smirking, he turned back and led them inside the castle. The two followed him through the castle until coming to a staircase that looped upward. She assumed this was the tower now and they would be staying in the tower. Rolling her eyes, she followed him up the long staircase. When they finally reached the door, Christine was more tired than she was before. Opening the door, he let them inside to look around.

There wasn't much; two beds that were separated by a curtain that basically divided the room, giving privacy. Each section had a table and chair, along with a small trunk. Walking over to a bed, she pushed down and felt the sheets sink under her hands. William pushed back the curtain to take the other bed, almost leaving Christine and Erik alone. Turning back to face him, she almost bumped into him. He must have quickly sneaked up behind him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were behind me." She quickly apologized, stepping back. Her calf hit the edge of the bed, basically stopping her from distancing herself from her. "Thank you…for this." She motioned to the bed, to the room.

"You're welcome." Though he wanted to trust her that she wouldn't escape, he couldn't. However, he remembered how well she was at sneaking, she mastered her at Kilchurn years ago. "Should you need anything during the night, there will a guard outside your door and at the bottom of the stairs." She knew what he was doing, telling her that basically she would be guarded. "And they don't let anyone pass them, not even angels." He hinted that she wouldn't be able to sneak pass them, not matter how hard she tried. _Challenge accepted, Phantom._

 **So you think Christine is going to try and escape? Find out soon**

 **Reviews are welcome**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Hello everyone! I have another chapter for you guys. I hope you enjoy it**

Chapter 23: Escape Plan…Again

Leaving the room, he made sure that a soldier was stationed outside the door and also at the bottom of the stairs. Though the tower was about 5 stores high, he didn't want assume that she won't try and escape. Leaving the tower, he met up with a few of his men who were tending to the horses. Seten approached him, letting a soldier tend to his horse.

"Is the lass happy that she gets a bed tonight?" Seten asked Erik.

"Very happy."

"Captain?" Their heads turned to see a soldier approaching them. "These were found during our rides." He handed Erik several pieces of ripped ribbon. He looked down at them, remembering seeing them somewhere before. "They were on branches throughout the woods."

"Where did they come from?" Seten asked. Erik knew and he should have known.

"Damn that lass." His hand fisted, crushing the ribbon.

"I give her credit though; it was a good plan." _Too good,_ Erik thought. He should have known she would do something like this. "I'm starting to like this lass." Seten's comment made Erik's blood boil.

"As am I, she is not like many of lasses I know." Malcolm commented, adding more heat to Erik's anger.

"One more word for any of you and I-l-" He tried to threaten, but stopped. Seten raised an eyebrow at his captain. This was unusual for him to stop mid threat, especially over a lass. He knew Erik was always protective over his woman. He remembered many times that men would end up with almost broken limbs. Every man learned quickly to stay away from Erik's woman. What puzzled Seten was that Christine wasn't Erik's woman. So why was Erik getting protective over her?

"Sorry, Captain." Malcolm quickly apologized. No saying anything, he just walked away. The three men looked at each other, confused. Walking throughout the village, he needed to get as far away from her as possible. But he knew that would be impossible. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get her out of his mind. He started to think of returning to Gustave and keeping the lad. Yes, that could work. Then she'd be back in England, away from him. As much as he should follow that plan, he didn't know if he could. _God, what is happening to me?_

Looking out the window of the tower, Christine looked at the black horizon before her. The full moon gave light and she could see outline of trees. The sky was clear and the stars filled the black space. It was truly beautiful. She could get used to seeing this view every day. It was a rare chance she would back at England for her days were often booked until late and by then, she would be too tried to sit out and looked at the stars. Sighing, she heard movement back in the room and turned to see William walking over to her.

"Is he gone?" William asked, walking to her.

"Yes, he left a couple of minutes ago." She answered, gazing back out. "You have been quiet the last few days." She said to him. He usually was talkative, but after they were taken hostages and Christine's failed escape, William kept quiet most of the time. He spoke, but whenever Erik was around, he remained quiet.

"I don't like him." William said. William had heard about the stories about Erik Boyd and grew to hate him just like Gustave. "I especially don't like the way he looks at you." Christine knew that she shouldn't like how Erik looks at her.

"You need not worry it, he won't hurt me in the way you think." She tried to reassure him, knowing Erik wouldn't hurt her in that way, especially after hearing about what had happened to his sister. William was silent for a moment before saying something.

"You like him, don't you?" She looked at him, surprised that he came to that conclusion. Did she like him? She didn't know.

"He is not what the stories say." That was all she could think of saying. Glancing back outside, she looked out and noticed something in the distance. It was a light, a yellowish light. Fire…camp fire. It must be the English, her father. Hope suddenly filled her that it was her father, but she couldn't tell if it was. If wasn't the English, it could be a village that they could stay at until her father found her. Either way, it was a risk and she was willing to take it.

Looking around the room, she looked for something that she could use. There wasn't much in the room, but there were a lot of blankets and sheets. She got an idea. Walking over to the sheets, she went through them to see how many were stacked up. She needed a lot since they were five stores up.

"What are you doing?" William asked, unsure of what his cousin was doing.

"Making sure we have enough." She answered.

"Enough for what?" He asked.

"Enough to make a long enough rope." He was still confused on what she was planning. After she was finished counting, she looked at the confused boy looking at her. Knowing she should let him know about the plan, he had to agree to it. "I have a new plan."

"How? He asked. "There's a guard outside out door." He heard Erik tell Christine about the two soldiers guarding them.

"There's still one way to escape without them knowing." Glancing towards the window, William understood what her plan was.

"Absolutely not!" He practically shouted, probably raising suspicion to the soldier outside the door.

"William, please." She tried to calm him down. "Not so loud, he'll hear you." Taking a breath, she tried to explain her plan better. "We can tie the sheets together and make a long enough rope so climb down through the window. No one will be guarding outside."

"For good reason. Who would be willingly to risk their life to escape?" She knew one person that would and did. "And what would we do if we did make it?" She motioned outside to the light in the distance.

"That could be the English. If not, a village that we could stay and wait for father to come find us. By the time Erik could find us, we would be long gone. I doubt he'd risk facing the English to find us." However, a part of her knew that he'd come after her. Not William, only her.

"I don't know Christine." He was unsure if this would work.

"It's our last chance. We're getting further into Scotland, it's risky for father to come further here without the full army." She knew Bruce's phantoms were out there and she heard the stories of his phantoms. "It's our last chance to go home." He thought about it more and finally, made his decision.

"Very well, but on one condition."

"Which is what?" She asked him.

"I go first." She thought about that. "If something should happen, I can jump down easier." He had a point, this dress did make it difficult for her.

"Alright." She agreed. Nodding, he helped move some of the furniture, making sure not to make too much noise to cause suspicion. She tied up the sheets to make a rope, checking the ties to make sure they won't come undone. She tied one to a post that was the closest to the window. Making sure it was steady and strong, she looked at William. "Ready?" He nodded, taking a breath before walking to the window.

William was more nervous now than he had been when he first met Erik. As he climbed through the window, he made sure he had a tight grip on the sheets. Christine helped him and held onto the sheets to help keep them still. She tried to keep calm as she watched William climb down. The rope strained against his weight, but it held. Minutes went by until the rope went loose. He had made it down and now it was her turn. Testing the rope like he had, she glanced over her shoulder to the door. For a second, she thought of him, imagining what his reaction would be. But the second passed and she turned back around to climb onto the window. Her elbow accidently hit the shudder, causing it to clatter against the wall…very loudly. The noise echoed throughout the quiet night. She froze, panicking. _Please…. please…_ She hoped the soldier was asleep and didn't hear it. But…

"Christine, let me in!"

 _Oh no…_

 **Looks like Erik might ruin the plan again. Any thoughts on what Christine might do? find out soon**

 **Reviews are welcome**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Hello everyone! Here is the next chapter. WARNING: VERY RATED M! If you are uncomfortable with this, please skip the chapter and you can catch up in the next chapter. You have been warned so if you are comfortable with a very rated M chapter, you can read this chapter. If not, please skip this chapter and you can read the next one.**

 **Okay, now that you guys are warned, enjoy the chapter.**

Chapter 24: Distraction

After the walk, he felt somewhat better. He had thought about what he should do with Christine. Though she was basically the ultimate prize to bring Gustave to his knees, he didn't see her as that. He still had Gustave's nephew and that was enough. He could give Christine back, but keep William. He knew Bruce might not agree to it, but the longer that Christine stayed, the more he wanted her. And at this point, it was hard to stay away from her. She consumed his thoughts, made him act unlike him to the point where his men were starting to notice. _She's making you soft…_ He groaned. God, he was going soft. Ever since he placed her on his lap, she had slowly soften him and he never got soft. However, he remembered when Tor, his Chief, started getting soft after he got married to his wife. Tor was one of the toughest men in all of Scotland, almost could win a fight against Erik, yet he was the gentlest man whenever it came to his wife. Though they teased him about it, Tor always said that it would happen to them. Erik always smirked it off, but now Tor's words were coming true. _Daingead…_

Walking back to the tower, he wasn't sure why he walking up those stairs. He hadn't said anything to the solder at the bottom of the stairs, just walked passed and up the stairs. By the time he got up to the door, the soldier outside the door looked at him with a startled look. He motioned the soldier to relax. As he was about to knock on the door, he heard something loud on the other side of the door. _What the-?_ He didn't take time to think but banged on the door.

"Christine, let me in!" He demanded, turning the knob. The soldier stood up to stand behind him. Hearing no movement on the other side, he grew impatient. Stepping back, he threw himself against the door, making it fly open. His eyes immediately flew to the woman by the open window. She looked startled. _Well you did just break down the door…_ He noticed the window opened and the shutter against the wall. That must be what made the noise, but why? His eyes slowly scanned the room, looking at every detail of the room from the last time he was in it. He always paid attention to detail which annoyed some, but it always came in handy. Everything seemed in place as he looked throughout the room. Looking down at the bed, he noticed something. "Where are the sheets?" He walked towards the bed, remembering there was a pile onto of the bed. Now they were gone and he looked at Christine.

"I-I gave them to William, to keep him warm throughout the night. It can get quiet cold at night, you know that." He did, which is why he always a few plaids with him. He looked at her, searching her face for any hint of a lie. Either she was telling the truth or she was very good at lying. _She's lied to her father for years about you, of course she's good at lying!_ Looking away, he kept looking around the room. Everything was in place, that's if the sheets were really with William on the other side of the curtain. Walking to the window, he looked out into the darkness. Though he couldn't see anything, he might as well try. Looking back at her, he noticed something else.

"Where's William?" He asked.

"Sleeping, riding all day can make somehow very tired." It can be, but he and his men were used to it. Making his way towards the curtain, he wasn't expecting her hand to grab his arm. "Don't!" The touch sent his blood racing. "Please don't wake him." She said in a calmer voice. He stopped in place, not moving a muscle. Her touch was burning, making him hot and hard. How could she not know how her touch affects him? His eyes locked with hers, those brown orbits that he never forgot about. _M_ _o bhòidheach dhonn shùileach sassenach_ _… (my beautiful brown eyed Sassenach)_

Their bodies were close, too close, but he couldn't move. His feet seemed like they were nailed to the floor, unable to move away from her. They stood there, looking at each other. His eyes glanced at her lips, making them part. The invitation was tempting. _One kiss, one taste…_ Before he could stop himself, his lips fell onto hers. He remembered the first time he kissed her; how soft her lips felt, how good they felt against his, how her body reacted to his kiss. However, this time it was different. This time he didn't pull away, this time he could take his time. His arm snaked around her waist, pulling her against him. She slightly gasped as she felt her body against his, letting him kiss her deeper. His tongue stroked her, slowly. A few strokes and hers responded, stroking him back. He let out a soft groan, encouraging her. Though he was fighting against himself to throw her on the bed and ravish her, he wanted to be gentle with her. However, she was making it difficult for him. Her hands slid around his neck, pulling him down closer to her. Her body was pressed against his; she could feel something hard grow against her stomach. The feeling should have scared her away, but it only aroused her that she was making him hard, hard and hot for her. She could feel every hard muscle of his body and the thought of his naked body against hers only fueled the ache between her legs.

His lips moved down her neck, sending shivers down her body. Her head tilted back to allow him better access, inviting him. She let out a soft moan as she felt one of his rough hands cup he breast. Though she was still full dressed, the feeling of his hand on her breast made her want remove the dress. He pulled away slightly as his hands moved to the back of the dress, loosening the laces. Their eyes locked as his hands made work of the dress. With the laces loosened, he tugged the dress down and let it fall to the floor, pooling around her. Only let in her chemise now, his lips returned to hers as his hand cupped her breast once more. She moaned at his touch, her back arching, pushing her breast more into his hand. Her hands gripped the fabric of his shirt, needing something to hold onto as his touch made her legs weak. His arm was still around her waist, practically holding her up. She wanted closer contact, she wanted his skin against her…she wanted this bloodily shirt off!

Before she knew it, she felt herself being laid down on the bed and now his body was hovering over hers. The feeling of his hard body over hers felt so good; a feeling she'd want more of. His lips moved down her neck, leaving a trail of kisses. Loosening the ties in front of her chemise, he pulled the fabric down, freeing her breasts. She moaned as she felt his mouth taking her nipple between his teeth as his tongue teased it. The pleasure was getting too intense, the aching feeling between her legs rising. She heard him murmur something in Gaelic, but she knew what he was saying. Pulling away from her breast, he looked down at her to see the flushed face of the woman beneath him. Looking up at him, using the moon outside for light. She could see the burning desire in his eyes. He wanted her. Though she should push him away, she couldn't. She wanted him too. His eyes never left hers as his hand pushed the chemise up to her waist, sliding between her legs. She gasped at the feeling of his fingers touching her. The feeling was incredible. Her legs parted slightly, encouraging him. A whimper left her mouth as she felt her body tremble from the pleasure, wanting more. Lifting her hips to meet his fingers more, she didn't know her action would cause him to lose any control he had left.

"Tha mi ag iarraidh a dhèanamh sibh mo. (I want to make you mine.)" Though she couldn't understand what he said, she had feeling of what he said. Before she could ask him to translate, she felt his finger sink inside of her. A moan or gasp, she couldn't tell what came out of her mouth. All she knew that was that she didn't want him to stop. He could see the plea in her eyes, the silent plea and he wasn't going to deny her. His finger stroked her, taking her higher. Her body trembled, her muscles tightening until she felt a wave come over her.

"Oh god, Erik!" She cried out his name as the passion overcame her. His name coming from her mouth as she released was something he'd love to hear again. Recovering from whatever that was, she watched his hands took the hem of his shirt and pulled it off of him. Her eyes scanned his chest and stomach, seeing the hard muscles that she had felt just seconds ago. His hands worked at removing the remainder of his clothes before he hovered his body back over her. Parting her legs more, she let him settle between them. He fought the urge to thrust into her, but he wanted to. He wanted to sink himself in her. One movement and she would be his. One movement and…

 _You can't do this, Erik…_

 **Anyone fanning themselves after reading this chapter?**

 **Reviews are welcome**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Hello everyone. Happy Hump Day! Here is the next chapter. It's uploaded earlier than usual since i have an event tonight and probably will be too tired to upload it later. So I hope you guys enjoy the chapter.**

Chapter 25: A Phantom's Rage

 _One movement and she would be his. One movement and…_

 _You can't do this, Erik…_

What was he doing? He looked down at the woman beneath him, her flushed cheeks, her parted lips, the look in her eyes…god, he wanted her so badly. He wanted to make her his, but he couldn't. He couldn't take her innocence; he couldn't do that to her. She wasn't his and never would his. Tilting her head, he saw the questioning look on her face and that was it. Forcing himself off of her, he let out a groan as he sat on the edge of the bed, putting space between them so he could think. He put his hand in his hands, trying to control his emotions.

"Erik?" Reaching her hand out to touch, he wrenched away. Her touch would only make it worse; make him turn around and take her. Sitting up, she fixed her chemise so she was covered though it was pointless now. He had touch every single spot on her body. "Did I do something wrong?" She asked him. He didn't respond, he couldn't speak. All he could do was try and let the fire die down, but it wouldn't. She was too close, he needed to distance himself from her. Quickly getting off the bed, he made quick of getting dressed. He didn't look at her, he couldn't. One look at her and he would be done. It already took the last of his willpower to say no and if he looked at her, he would lose all willpower and control.

"I-I'm sorry." He managed to say, his back still to her. "I-I-I…" He didn't know what else to say. "That shouldn't have happened." He couldn't see the hurt look in her eyes. Standing up, he made his way to the door. Opening it in a rush, he made the soldier jump. He didn't wait for him to say anything; he practically ran down the stairs. _I need some, I need air…_ He kept telling himself. The cold Scottish night never felt so good until now. Looking around, he needed to find somewhere to go to calm down. Seeing the forest, he knew he could always find safety there. Basically running until he hit the density of the woods, het let out a loud groan, almost roar. He didn't care if anyone heard him, he didn't care if his roar scared anyone. He could put out the fire raging inside of him, not matter how are he tried. He refused to fist himself, pumping him until he would release. He hated doing that, but sometimes he had to. A warrior's life meant a lot of lonely nights away from a woman and every warrior went through it.

To get his mind off the lass back in the tower, he tried to think of thinks that usually never excited him. Using the moonlight, he could see the outland the forest and an opening to the mountains in the distance. He knew those mountains; he had spent an entire year training in those mountains. It had been the longest year of his life and the roughest. He remembered the freezing nights during the winter, the blazing heat during the summers and every damn rain storm which seemed almost every week. Hell's Mountain they called and it was hell. But it prepared for the long war they were fighting. Those long days of intense training, the many hours Tor had them go through. _God, Tor…_ He was much harder on Erik than anyone else. Probably because Erik was the only one who could beat him at hand-to-hand combat. Tor was known as being the strongest man in Scotland, and the most feared warrior…until Erik came along. Now the two basically shared the titled though Tor stays behind the lines now. Everyone knew it was because of his wife whom they all knew he adored more than anything. Some of warriors also had wives and families, but not Erik. His family was dead and there was no woman holding him back from fighting. _Well maybe…_ he shook his head. _No, he had no one. He only had himself and that's how he liked it right now._

The fire started to dimmer and he felt his mind clear. He let out a sigh as he leaned against the tree. The cold air had helped him and he always was thankful at times like these for that. A soft breeze blew passed him as he took a deep inhale. The scent caused him to straighten up, putting all his senses on alert. Inhaling again, he knew that smell. _Fire…campfire._ Looking out onto the opening, he saw see a small light in the distance. Though he was too far away to see anything to give away who or what it was, something was telling him that it wasn't friendly company. Making his way back to the village, he shouted orders to his men. They rushed to their feet and started preparing.

"What is it?" Seten asked.

"We're being followed?" Erik answered as he made his way towards the tower.

"By the English?"

"I don't know, but I'm not going to wait around to find out. Get ready, we're leaving in a few minutes." He told Seten as he entered the tower. Climbing up the stairs, he pushed the memory of what had happened only minutes early. Relieving the soldier at the door, he opened it to see sitting on the bed as if she hadn't moved from it since he left. But she did move, her dress was back on which helped him think clearly, but just a little. Her head turned to look at him, the look of hurt, confusion and questioning look in her eyes made his heart ached. The moonlight shined into the room, onto her skin. She looked like an angel sitting there. He would never forget this sight of her, it would haunt his dreams forever. "Wake your nephew." He ordered. "We're leaving."

"I cannot do that." She replied back.

"This isn't a request, princess. There's an English party close by. And while I don't mind killing Englishman-" She glared at his words. "-I rather not have you and William in the middle of it." She looked away, giving him the cold shoulder. He knew she was angry at him; hell he was angry at himself. "I'm sorry about earlier." He apologized. He realized he'd been apologizing a lot lately and to and Englishwoman. _God, what is happening to me._ "It will not happen again."

"I cannot wake William because William isn't here." He froze, unsure he heard clearly.

"What do you mean he isn't here?" He asked. Before she could answer, he went over to the curtain and drew it back. William was nowhere to be found and the bed looked like no one had touched it. The sheets that Christine said were with him weren't found either. Storming back to her, he grabbed her arms, making her look at him. She could see the rage in his eyes. "Where is William?" He demanded. She tried to remain calm and only turned her head towards the open window. Following her gaze, he knew now. The missing bed sheets, they were used as rope to climb down from the window. That's why Christine was by the window when he came up. She must have hit the shutter as she cried to climb out. _Oh fuilteach ifrinn!_ She was trying to escape when he was trying to apologize. "Are you mad woman!" He yelled at her. "Do you not realize how dangerous that was?! He could have fallen to his death! You have fallen to your death!" She tried not to show him how terrified she was. She heard story of the famous Phantom's rage but never experienced it…until now. "That was it? That was the noise I heard coming up here. You were trying to escape." She nodded slightly. Fury came crushing down at him. "You did that on purpose?" The puzzled look came back on her face. "Thu breugach Beurla galla! You threw yourself at me to distract while William escaped."

"No, I didn't." She tried defending herself. Forgetting whatever _galla_ meant though she knew it must not be good, she tried to explain to him. "I was trying to stop you, but I didn't intend for that to happen."

"Didn't you? What do expect would happen when you kiss a man like that?" He asked her. "When you press your body against his and move your hips that like?"

"I am not what you think I am!" He was basically calling her a whore and that she would not tolerate. "How dare you accuse me of such a thing?" Now her voice rose. "You know that I-"

"Your actions spoke different. Your legs spread eager enough and I was a breath away from taking you up on the offer. A mistake I might rectify." Shock and horror covered her face.

"Y-You wouldn't. You said you wouldn't!"

"Who said anything about rape? From that alone-" He pointed to the bed and the memory of what happened there. "-I doubt I'll need any persuading." A sharp slap came across his cheek. She didn't care would he would do, but he deserved that slap and maybe something else. Before one word was spoke, he grabbed her, slamming her against the wall, pinning there. Though it wasn't hard, she knew a bruise would form on her back from it. "Watch it, princess." His voice was dark and dangerous.

"Or what? You going to rape me?" She knew she was playing with fire, but she didn't care. She blood was boiling with rage and though she didn't have power in Scotland, she knew how to threat. "Go ahead. My father will kill you for the committing such a crime."

"He'd have to capture me and I won't go down without a fight."

"He's done that before and history can repeat itself." He glared at her, his breathing hardening. He pushed himself away from her, taking a step back. He thought for a moment. He may not have Gustave's nephew, but he still had his daughter. He knew she was worth more and now he had no choice but to keep her. And at this point, Gustave would be lucky if Erik ever gave her back.

 **PS: If i don't translate some of the Gaelic, it's for a purpose. It means it's not something nice that Erik is saying so I leave it go. But other than that, I translate for you guys. Also, you'll be hearing a lot of people's names and they will appear throughout the story.**

 **Reviews are welcome**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Here's the next chapter, I hope you guys enjoy it. It may not be as exciting as some chapters lately, it's more of a filler chapter for the next one.**

 **ENjoy**

Chapter 26: Cold Night

"Well, what do you have?" Erik asked the soldier. He had sent a scout to check on the light he saw. He had a feeling it was the English, but he wanted to make sure. If it was, he wanted numbers. Christine stood nearby, able to hear everything. He knew she was there, but wouldn't dare look at her. He was angry with her, more like furious. He couldn't believe she had gone that and almost got away with it. If he hadn't come to apologize to her, she would have escaped and he wouldn't have known. _She's still that sneaky young girl, she would make a good phantom._ He snorted, but couldn't help but agree. She was good, too good and that skill was something that Bruce wanted in his warriors. Erik was the master at it, so was Tor and Gregor.

"It is the English, captain." The scout's voice brought him back. God, he had to stop doing that; stopping thinking of her. "The flags indicated the king…I couldn't get a full count of the men he had, but it was in the thousands." That was enough for Erik to know that an attack was not happening. If the English attacked, they would all be killed. He only had one choice; get to the safety of the mountains as quick as possible. It would a long ride, but he had no other choice. No English dared venture into the mountains, it was the sanctuary for the Scots. Gustave didn't know the mountains and wouldn't risk losing his men. Not to mention, it was rumored where Robert Bruce's phantoms lived and that was enough to scare any English away.

"Let's go." He ordered and every man mounted, along with Christine. They didn't wait much before galloping away from the village. He didn't want the English to catch up so if it meant galloping through the night, so be it.

The ride through the night was the longest and hardest Christine had ever experienced. All she could recall from it was hanging onto the soldier, keeping her head down as they galloped through the meadows and forests. The ride had lasted all night and most of the day. Only once did they stop to rest their tired horses and the men. But Christine wasn't allowed off the horse due to Erik's strict order and the soldier who was assigned to her not dare object. Malcolm wasn't allowed to ride with her anymore which she hated. He was the only one who talked to her mainly, whenever Erik didn't sneak up to pull her away from Malcolm. She never understood how he could sneak up without her knowing or why he always seemed to pull her away whenever she was talking to Malcolm. With the break only a couple of minutes, they set out again. Hours and hours of hard riding, Christine was thankful when they finally stopped. However, she wasn't thankful for the rain that had stopped them. She had forgotten about the Scottish rain and how cold it can be. Even though they had trees to help protect them, it wasn't much protection. Sitting against the wet bark of a tree, she curled up into a ball to keep warm. She was drenched and without a plaid to help keep her warm, she knew it would be impossible to sleep. Erik usually gave her his plaid during the nights, but not this time. He didn't look or speak to her, just ignored her altogether. Yes, she tried to escape, but that was no reason for the harsh words he said to her and this treatment. She hadn't mean for what happen, she didn't expect. How was she supposed to know that it would have led to that, to her laying on the bed with him on top of her? She didn't know that kissing a man could affect her so much, could affect him. She had kissed since that time years ago, but never were as hot and heated as this one. This was all new to her; the feelings she experienced, the way her body responded to him, the way his body responded. It was scaring her. How could someone affect this much? But this someone, she had history with. She remembered the days back at the prison and how drawn she was to him. Their moments together never left her memory. And now brought back together by fate, she was still drawn to him. She wondered if he still thought of her as she was before yesterday.

Shivering from the cold and rain, she tried to sleep but that was impossible. Looking around the men who were under their plaids, she wondered if someone would maybe be kind towards her. But none of the men moved, all staying away from her. Sighing, she leaned back against the trunk. Though her shivering hadn't gone unnoticed. Erik had noticed that she was shivering, they all were. Though they had plaids to keep them warm, they were soaked as well which didn't help them either. Yes, she deserved to be punished, she had nearly escaped and he wasn't going to let her get away with it by treating kindly. He had done that a few times and look where it led him. She had tricked him in wanting her in order to let her nephew get away. He couldn't believe he let himself get carried away like that. But Christ, did he want her. He couldn't ignore the fact that he wanted her, wanted to make her his. Even now, he wanted to take her in his arms and let the warmth from his body warm hers. But no matter how much he wanted her, he couldn't have her. He could never have her and he had to keep reminding himself of that.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Hello everyone, hope you all enjoyed your weekend. Here is the next chapter and it's the longest I've written for this story so far. I hope you guys enjoy it.**

 **Apologizing for any spelling/grammar errors and or any errors. I'm trying to catch them before I upload the chapter for you guys.**

 **Lots of names of new characters will be appearing and it may get a little confusing but I'll make a little cheat sheet soon to help you guys out once we get there. To help from further confusing before I upload more chapters, I'm going to give you guys a little background info. There's a group of highly trained warriors that are called Bruce's Phantoms. Their identities are kept a secret, but their actually names are still quiet known. For example, Erik is known in both England and Scotland for his skills at hand-to-hand combat, strength and his temper. But you guys will learn he has a secret identity and he'll meant a name during the story that of course, if you know Phantom of the Opera, his character is known as. Now, there are people who know these warriors' identity but help keep their secret and you'll meet some of them as the story progresses.**

 **I hope I explained okay, I suck at explaining sometimes. If you need a reference, this story was inspired by the _Highland Guard_ series (very good ready, by the way, highly recommend it). It can help explain stuff if you want to look it up. Erik's character was based off one of the books in the series, _Raider_. **

**Okay, enjoy from me, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter.**

Chapter 27: The Scottish Camp

The rain had stopped sometime during the night while everyone slept. At some point during the night, Erik woke. The sun had yet to rise but the smell of wet forest filling his nostrils. Getting up, he stretched his stuff muscles. He couldn't wait to be able to sleep in a bed again, to have the warmth of woman next to him. _You pushed a woman away who you could have had._ Sighing, he pushed that thought out of his head. Walking around the sleeping men, he saw Christine sleeping against the tree. Though she was sleeping, he could tell that she was cold. Before he could stop himself, he grabbed one of his plaids and covered her. She stirred slightly, her hands grabbing a hold of the fabric to pull it closer. He couldn't help but feel something, he wasn't sure what it was. But whatever it was, he never felt it before towards someone. Forcing himself to look away, he continued to check on his sleeping men. Coming to a tree, he leaned on it and stared up at the dark sky. A soft breeze brushed along him, pushing his hair slightly away from his face. Reaching his hand up, he removed the mask to let the freeze hit his face. The cool air felt so good against his scarred face. He remembered the day it happened; he'd still have nightmares because of it. Only a few had seen his face, but he still covered it whenever he was in public. He enjoyed the time before everyone woke; it was his time to think, to recharge and the only time it was peaceful.

After the sun rose, the men started to wake. Erik had one of the soldiers wake Christine. Waking from her sleep, she was surprised to feel a plaid covering her body. Sittin up, she looked down at the plaid and immediately recognized it. Standing up, she folded the plaid up and looked around the owner. Finding him, she walked over and held out the plaid to him.

"Thank you." She hoped he would say something to her, but he didn't. He just took the plaid and put it back in his saddle bag. Sighing, she turned around to talk over to the soldier who Erik had ordered her to ride with, waiting.

"You shouldn't be so hard on the lass." Seten said to the captain. Erik just looked at his partner, giving him a glare that told him to 'back off'. "Your threats don't work on me anymore, Erik." He said as he turned and mounted his horse. Mounting his horse as well, the watched as the others followed. Shouting an order, they set off again.

Hitting an opening, Christine glanced forward to see where they were headed. The tall mountains seemed to stretch higher than any castle she had seen. Wait, she knew these mountains. Those mountains were rumored that Bruce's phantoms lived there. They were truly in the heart now of Scotland. Glancing behind her, she knew that her father wouldn't be following now. No one dared venture to the mountains, the stories of what happens is enough to scare even the English king. Any thought of trying escape again left her mind, afraid she would run into any of the Phantoms. A shiver ran down her spine as she thought about the stories she's heard. Trying not to think of what may be in the shadows of the mountains, she tried thinking of happier thoughts. But she no longer had happy thoughts. All thoughts of her family back in England brought sadness to her, wondering when she would ever see them again. She wouldn't dare think of Erik for right now, he didn't bring any happiness to her. Nothing could make her happy anymore, not even things she used to find to make her happy. She brushed a tear that had threaten to fall and tried to stay strong, it wouldn't be easy but she had no choice.

Coming into the density of the forest at the summit of the mountains, they halted. Looking at the soldier, she wondered why they stopped. Hearing something, she saw Erik and a soldier riding up to her. If she wasn't scared, she sure was now. Before she could ask, she felt something cover her head. Her sight when dark and she no longer could see. Now she was really scared. Feeling the movement of the horse again, she knew they were moving again. Erik had ordered her eyes to be covered so she couldn't know where she was going. Unable to see, she could only hang on and wait until they reached their destination. After hours a riding, the sack was removed from Christine head. Able to see again, she immediately looked around at her surroundings. They were no longer in the forest, but an opening with the tall mountains surrounding them. Glancing behind her, there was no clear path that clearly led to this. _How did they get here?_ Trying to figure it out, she heard sounds in front. Looking forward, she saw what surprised her: tents, buildings and a castle. Hearing a horn sounding, she knew it was to let people know of the group's arrival. Passing some defensive posts, she noticed the looks she was getting from the guards. Soon they halted and Christine could see a large crowd gathering; men, women and children. She was surprised to see women and children. She always thought that Scottish camps only had the men, she didn't expect women and children to be here. A few men dismounted to embrace what Christine assumed were their wives and children. The soldier who she had ridden without dismounted, not bothering to help her as he embracing one of the women. No one seemed to come over to help her, leaving her to have to dismount by herself.

Taking a hold of the reins, she thought of how she was going to do this. Normally, she would be side saddled which was easier to dismount or she'd had someone helping her. Here however, she was on her own which she seemed to be getting used to. Erik helped her at first, but now he wouldn't go near her.

" _Erik!_ " The sound of a woman's voice calling his name caught both of their attentions. Christine looked up to see a woman pushing through the crowd to rush over to the masked warrior. She practically jumped in his arms as he got off his horse. Her body was plastered to his as his strong arms wrapped around her body, seemingly familiar with the curves of her body. Her wavy brown hair hung loosely down her back as her head titled up. For a second, Erik's eyes met with Christine's before he accepted the woman's kiss. Christine felt as if the horse just kicked her in her chest as she watched them. _No! Please no! You can't! You-_ she stopped mentally shouting. She had no claim to him and the fact that he was making it clear to her was tearing her heart up. _Oh god, they were lovers…_

Tearing her eyes away from him, she couldn't let anyone see the hurt she was feeling. Fighting away the tears that started to form, she tried to not to show her emotions. Sliding her foot out of the stirrup, she wasn't prepared for the horse to suddenly jump. For a second, she thought she would have fallen off if not a pair of arms stopped her, grabbing her before she would have fallen. She knew these arms and looked up to see Erik standing here. She tried to ignore the fact that she interrupted his reunion with the woman.

"I'm surprised you didn't let me fall." She said as she straightened up, trying not to let him see the hurt in her eyes. _He's not yours Christine, he just made that perfectly clear._

"There's not much of a choice, as you are our only hostage." He replied.

"Yes, my father would not pay if I am harmed, you might want to remember that." She tried to sound threatening, but he only smirked. Clearly, nothing could scare him.

"I think he would pay to get you back no matter what state you are in, _princess._ "

"You are still wrong of what happened." She tried telling him. "Surely you must know the difference between practiced or not from your knowledge of experience women." She regretted her words, now having let him know that his kiss with that woman had affected her.

"This way, _princess._ " She had begun to hate how that word came from his mouth. Not saying anything, she just followed him through the crowd. Walking pass the woman, Christine couldn't help but noticed the look she got from her; a look that sent a warning to Christine to stay away from him. Walking pass the crowd that now had begun to return to their duties, Christine followed Erik. They passed a longhouse which she assumed served as their hall. They walked pass several rows of tents as they approached the castle. Though it wasn't as big as some of the castles she had seen in Scotland, it was a decent size. Thinking she was going to be staying there, she noticed Erik just walking passed it. After the castle came a series of large tents, much larger than the others. These tents would usually hold the king's commanders: generals, colonels and lieutenants. Stopping at the first tent, he held open the flap to let her walk in. It wasn't what she thought of a Scottish rebel tent. A dozen wooden poles helped give the structure of the tent, giving it it's large space. A long wooden pole helped divide the tent, allowing two people to use it. The ground was covered in woven rugs, giving the feet a cushion to walk on instead of the ground. Two bed sat in the room, along with trucks for each bed and a table next to the bed with a candle of them. Candles and torches helped light the tent up whenever the flaps were closed. She noticed the lack of personal belongs or anything to let her know whose tent was this. This was a warrior's tent and it seemed perfect for Erik's.

"Where am I to sleep?" She asked him.

"That bed." He pointed to the bed on the left.

"Is there nowhere else to sleep?" She asked, not wanting to share a bed with him.

"Have you noticed where we are?" He asked back. She nodded, understanding. There was no other place for her to sleep.

"I just don't wish to deprive someone of a bed that was meant for them."

"If that's how you think, you can always share mine." She froze, a little taken from his offer. Was he serious about letting her share his bed with him? Christine couldn't help but wonder what would happen if she took him up on his offer. Immediately her cheeks blushed at the thought and Erik had noticed. "Fear not, Christine. Seten doesn't mind." He said, still not helping her erase the image of their bodies tangled in the sheets. "Now, if there's nothing else I can help you with..." He headed for the flap of the tent.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Her voice made him stop, turning to face her.

"To celebrate with the camp." He answered. "But I will warn you, should you try to escape again. Even if you could get pass the two men guarding you who are kinsman to the Black Douglas who I assume you have heard of…" Oh yes, she had heard of the famous Black Douglas. Just his name could strike fear into anyone. The stories say his heart is a black as ebony and along with his fighting skills, earned him the name of the Black Douglas. However, no one feared the Black Douglas as much as they feared the Phantom. Even with the Phantom not around, she still feared the Black Douglas…and Erik Boyd. "…the forest is no place for a lass, especially should get lost. Unless you like boars…" He paused. "…and phantoms." Blood turn cold as he said the last word. Could the Phantom be here? Could Erik have brought her to where the Phantom supposedly lives? Either way, Erik's threat was well heeded. She was trapped and she knew it. She didn't want to meet the Black Douglas or the Phantom.

"Wait, you're going to leave me here alone?" She asked, hoping he would stay. She didn't want to be left alone, especially here now.

"Yes." He answered. "Unlike you, I didn't get to take my release the other night and Rhona has offered to. Unless you want to offer, I bid a good night." He opened the flag to leave, closing the flag behind him. Christine stood there, unable to move or speak. She wanted to protest, beg him to stay and take him up on the offer. But all she could do was she stand there and let him walk away. She didn't want him to touch that woman, but what could she do. She knew that if he let that woman touch him like that, it would be over between them. That woman would make claim to Erik and Christine knew she wouldn't win. Sighing, she realized that the soldier she had watched from the balcony of Kilchurn wasn't the man who was standing before her.

 **PS: Christine doesn't know Erik is the famous 'Phantom'. She just thinks he's a warrior and not part of Bruce's special army.**

 **I'm sure you guys aren't a fan of Rhona now**

 **Review are welcome**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Hey everyone, I'm sorry I haven't on here in a while. I took a little break and plus starting a new job has been taking up most of my time. But I managed to finish this chapter and I'm sorry it's really short but I had writer's block with it and I was unsure how to really make this chapter. I promise the next one will be longer.**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy and I'll try and upload soon, maybe within the next couple of days. Also, I will get the next chatper up for Wildest Dreams soon too.**

Chapter 28: Celebrations

The celebrations seem to go all night alone with no hint of when it will end. She could hear the celebrations from the tent and as much as she wanted to go, she didn't. She wouldn't be able to handle it if she saw him with that woman again; her heart wouldn't be able to take it. Instead, she lay in the small bed and wondered. _Was he with her? What was he doing?_ She couldn't help how much she thought about him. She said it was mainly curiosity but she knew it was jealousy too. Yes, she was jealous of that woman, Rhona. She experienced many times what Christine briefly experience only once and more. She had no doubt that they knew each other on an intimate level, a level Christine knew she would never know. Sighing, she knew the only way to get sleep was to try and stop thinking about him. She scoffed, knowing that wouldn't happen.

A group of warriors gathered around a campfire, their laughter rising higher than the flames. Erik leaned against a post, taking a sip of his ale. A warrior started telling a story of one of their raid. He knew which raid the warrior was talking about, the raid of the village where Christine was. As he listened to the warrior tell the story, he noticed the look on people's faces when he said it was the princess of England.

"You have certainly outdone yourself." Erik turned to see Douglas standing behind him. "I don't know if Tor would be impressed or mad." Both knew Tor's strict rule of hostages, especially female hostages.

"I can handle Tor." Erik said, not afraid of their Chief's rage.

"I'm starting to think nothing scares you." He walked up to stand next to the masked warrior. "How is the princess holding up?"

"Behaving for now."

"For now? What? Has the lass not behaved?" Douglas asked, making Erik scoffed.

"She's tried escaping several times, she almost succeeded once. She's determined, I'll give her that. Though, I mention your name and she suddenly follows orders." Douglas chuckled. "I don't think she'll try to escape this time. I have two guards on her."

"Aye, I'm glad my name is as affect as yours." Erik smirked.

"Ah there's the man of the hour." Both of their heads turned to see Rhona approach them. She leaned up to place a kiss on his good cheek.

"I'll leave you two be." Douglas said as he turned to walk away. "It's good to have you back, Phantom." Looking back at the woman in front of him, he smiled slightly at her.

"Come…" She took his hand. "It's not often I get the Phantom alone." She had that look in her eyes and he knew what she was saying. "And I intend not to waste any more time." Finishing his ale, he started walking with her away from the group by the fire. She led him back to her tent, but he stopped before entering it. Turning his head, he glanced in the direction of his tent. For a moment, he thought of saying no. "Erik?" Hearing her voice, he looked back at the woman in front of him. "Are you coming?" She asked. For some reason, a part of him was telling him not to come. A part of him was telling to go back to his tent and be with her; that what he was about to do was wrong. However, his foot stepped forward and he disappeared behind the tent flaps.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Hello everyone. I'm back! I'm sorry for my absence, I took some time off from here for personal reasons. But now I'm back now and resuming working on the stories. I know you guys have been anxious to see what happens since last chapter and now you can find out. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter.**

Chapter 29: Hot Bath

The celebrations had carried on throughout the night, causing Christine to stay up all night long. The music was loud enough to keep anyone up, but her mind was constantly thinking. And being in a tent alone, all she could do was think. Only once did someone come in and that was only of her guards to give her some food. He hadn't said anything to her, just set the food on the table and left the tent. She was happy for the food, but she still felt like a prisoner. _I'm pretty much a prisoner._ Over the hours, she felt herself getting tired. Eventually, she fell asleep on Erik's bed.

The sound of voices outside woke him from his slumber. Blinking his eyes, he lifted his head slightly to look around. Slowly, he sat up and groaned as he felt a headache come to him. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to wake up. Put his feet on the ground, he lifted himself up. Walking over to the flaps, he pushed one out and groaned as the sunlight hit his face. Muffling a curse, he waited until his eyes adjusted to the brightness.

"God, this sun." He groaned, feeling the aftermath of too much ale. He needed a nice bath…and food. His stomach started growling. Morning meal wasn't ready yet so he would have to wait until it was served. But the bath could be arranged. Seeing the tent in view, he noticed a few soldiers leaving the tent. Curious on why men were leaving his tent when he wasn't there, but a woman was. Walking over, he stopped the soldiers.

"The lass asked for a bath, sir. We just deliver the tub and water for her." One of the soldiers told him. Motioning his head, the soldiers knew that he wanted them gone. Watching them rush away, he sighed and opened the tent flap. Stepping into the tent, he saw the tub that Christine asked for…and Christine in the tub. Hearing movement, she turned to look to see who it was. Gasping when she saw him, her hands quickly went to cover herself.

"You should announce yourself before barging in!" She scolded him.

"This is my tent, lass. I don't need to announce myself." He walked over to his trunk to fetch a towel and fresh clothes.

"Yes you do, since you are sharing a tent with a woman." He was tempted to say something but decided not to. "Do you mind?" She asked, not wanting him to see her naked body.

"I've seen women naked before Christine."

"But not me."

"Almost I did." He reminded her. "And that chemise can get very transparent." He pointed to her chemise that was laying on the bed. "Move forward in the tub." He ordered her as he started removing the shirt. Before protesting, her eyes gazed on him as the fabric revealed his chest and stomach. She remembered those muscles against her. His hands went to remove his plaid, unbuckling the belt.

"W-What are you doing?" She asked.

"Taking a bath." He answered. "Might as well not waste the water." Her cheeks turned bright red as she realized what he was meaning; taking a bath with her.

"You can't."

"I can." He dropped the plaid. "And I will." She tried to force her eyes away, not to look at his naked form. Though her head wouldn't move, she closed her eyes instead. Her ears picked up the sound of the water and she felt his legs on either side of her. "Lean back and I'll wash you." He said. Her body refused to move, not wanting his touch. "Christine?"

"Did she…did you…?" She couldn't finish, but he knew what she was asking. Her head turned to look at him over her shoulder, needing to see his face.

"No she didn't." He spoke the truth. He had gone in her tent but he couldn't do it. He had apologized to Rhona and said he was too tried from the travelling. He had left her tent and spent the rest of the celebrations in another tent, alone. Christine could see the truth in his eyes; it made her relax…and trust him. Her arms fell from her chest and she found herself leaning back until she felt the hardness of his chest. She couldn't believe she was sharing a bath with a man, especially a man who the enemy. Hearing the water move, she turned to see his hand grab a cloth and soak it. "Relax, Christine." He whispered in her ear, making a shiver run down her body. How could she relax?

His touch was gentle and slow. He started with her back and shoulders, taking the cloth and slowly running it along her skin. His other hand stayed around her waist, his fingers along her stomach. Reaching behind, she moved her hair out of the way to let him wash her back. She didn't know if it was his gentle touch or the hot water or a combination of both, but she felt so relaxed. How could someone who can kill with his bare hands be so gentle? Sighing in content, she leaned more into him. She couldn't help the soft moan that escaped her lips as she felt his lips kiss the back of her neck. Tilting her head, it gave him better access to her neck. Closing her eyes, she completely slumped against him. His hand dropped the cloth as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Not feeling the cloth anymore, she lifted her head to look behind her at him. Tilting his head, he looked at her, his eyes staring into hers. Leaning in, his lips softly kissed hers. It reminded her of their first kiss years ago at the prison, how gently it was. As he kissed, he felt something tug on his heart. Something that he never felt before and it scared him. He wasn't the only one who felt it, she felt it as well. Breaking the kiss, he thought the feeling would stop but it didn't. He still felt that tug on his heart.

"Dè tha sibh a 'dèanamh dhomh? (What are you doing to me?)" He asked her. Her lips slightly parted as her hand reached up to caress his check just under his mask. He flinched slightly but relaxed into her palm. Smiling softly, she rested her head back on his chest. Her hand fell from his cheek to find his, laying over his fingers. Letting out a sigh, her eyes slowly closed as she felt the most relaxed she has ever been. With her in his arms, he felt at peace for once. He knew he should push her away, but the feeling of her in his arms, it felt so right. _I'm in trouble…_

 **So Erik didn't spend the night with Rhona**

 **Reviews are welcome**


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: Hello everyone, I'm sorry for the wait of this chapter. I had writer's block and I rearranged a lot of the future chapters for this story. I am going to try and upload the next chapter soon, hopefully within a few days. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter (sorry if it's a little boring)**

Chapter 30: Boredom

Staring at the garment of her dress, she sighed as she looked at the fabric, all torn and dirtied from the days of travel. As much as she would love another dress, she didn't have any of her dresses. And she doubted that any of the women would let her borrow theirs. Taking the chemise, she dropped the plaid that was covering her now dried body to put the chemise one.

"Milady?" A voice from outside the tent made her turn around to face the closed flaps of the tent. Erik had left a bit go, leaving her alone in the tent. "May I come in?" The female voice asked.

"Hold on." She said as she grabbed the plaid to wrap around her body again. "Come in." The flaps soon opened as two women walked inside the tent, carrying several dresses in their arms. Right away, she recognized one of the woman as Rhona and she didn't look happy. _Well she didn't get to spend the night with him and he had just took a bath with you._

"Boyd had requested several dresses for you." Rhona told Christine as she set the dresses down on the bed. Walking to the bed, she glanced down at the dresses on the bed. They were as nice as the dresses she was used to wearing back in England, but they were better than nothing. "He also arranged for breakfast to be brought here for you. It shall arrive shortly."

"Thank you." She said to the two women. The other woman just nodded while Rhona said nothing. The two left and Christine was left alone in the tent again. Sighing, she grabbed one of the dresses and put it on. It wasn't as hard to put on as the ones she was used to wearing which she kind of liked. Once the dress was one, she noticed how well it fitted her. Either it was luck or Erik really knew her body well. _He just shared a bath with you, of course he knows your body well._

By the time breakfast came to the tent, it was the first time she got a glimpse outside, but just for a moment. However, she could see the two men who were guarding her. They may not be built like Erik, but Christine rather not try to escape. Once the woman left the tent, Christine was left alone again. Sitting at the table where she placed the food, she glanced at the food. Not caring, she dug in to the food, her hungry overpowering her. She was surprised that they were feeding her well compared to she thought hostages got. After finishing, she leaned back in the chair and looked around the room. Since there wasn't much in the tent, she knew it would be hard to find something to help pass the time away. However, there wasn't anything in the tent that could help. No books, nothing she could read. Sighing, she slumped into the chair.

"He could have lasted given things for me to do." She said to herself. A thought of cleaning the tent wasn't happening since the tent looked like it was well kept. Standing up, she walked over to a small table by Erik's bed to find some pieces of blank paper. Next to the paper was a pencil and sighed in relief. Taking the pencil and paper, she went to sit back down at the table. She always had an interest in drawing, especially people. Thinking for a moment on who to sketch, one person came into mind. Putting the pencil to the paper, she began to sketch, using her memory of the person's features: the outline of the jaw, the shape of the nose, the way his hair fell from his head…the way his mask sat on his face. She ignored the ache in her back and neck as she kept sketching, wanting to get every detail of his face. Unaware of how much time went up, she didn't notice when the tent flap opened.

"What are you doing?" His voice made her jump in her seat, almost causing the pencil to mark up the sketch. She quickly covered the sketch so he wouldn't see it.

"I-I was bored and I saw the paper." She glanced down at the paper on the desk and then to him.

"What are you sketching?" He steps closer, making her defend her sketch more.

"It's private. Surely you can respect that." Stepping back, he moved to his trunk. Watching him open it, she noticed a few books in his trunk. "You have books?" She stood up, making him turn his attention to her.

"Yes, I do. But they are not what you would be interested in."

"How would you know that?" He didn't say anything. "Maybe it's something that would interest. And besides, I have nothing better to do. Your tent is…well it feels like a prison here. I am not allowed to go out unless to relieve myself, you do not have many things in this tent to help pass the time away, I'm alone here with no one to talk to."

"I've treated you better than what your father has treated me. You have a comfortable bed compared to the stone bed I had. If you think you are a prisoner here, I can treat you like a prisoner." She quickly shook her head. "I didn't think so." He grabbed two books from the trunk and held them out. "Here…for today." Taking the books, she set them on the table. "I'll arrange for more paper and pencils to be brought here for your…sketches, as well as books." She couldn't hide the smile on her face.

"Oh thank you Erik." She went to give him a hug, but stopped herself. Sitting back down on the chair, she glanced at the two books he gave her. Both were history of warfare which didn't surprise Christine that Erik would own these books. Taking one, she read more and realized it was about ancient warfare. Hearing movement, she glanced back up to watch him leave the tent, leaving her alone again. Sighing, she wished he stayed to keep her company, but at least she had books now. "Well…at least I won't be completely bored now." Looking at the closed flaps, she knew he wouldn't be back for hours. "You are a hostage Christine, this is your life right now."


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Hello everyone! I managed to upload another chapter and I'm introducing a new character. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and I'll try and upload the next one soon.**

Chapter 31: A New Friend

Closing the book, she let out a big breath. She had just finished the last of the six books that Erik have given her. It had only been a few days and she had already read six books, drawn over 20 sketches, cleaned as much as she could of the tent and washed all the plaids in the tent. Now finished with the books, she wondered what she was going to do. Erik still won't let her out of the tent and he didn't spend much time in the tent. He would see her only when he needed to get something from the tent; he slept in another tent. By the fourth day, she had enough of this. Sitting on the bed, she waited until he would show up. After a few hours of waiting, the tent flaps opened as Erik entered the tent. He didn't say anything, but walked over to this trunk and opened it.

"Have you finished all the books?" He asked, not looking at her.

"Yes." She answered, trying to get the courage to ask him for more freedom. Staying silent, she watched him get whatever he needed and headed towards the flaps to leave. "Erik!" He stopped and turned to look at her.

"Yes?" Taking a deep breath, it was now or never.

"I-I was wondering…if I could, well maybe…" She couldn't get it out.

"What is it Christine?" He asked, losing his patience a little.

"I want more freedom!" She blurted it out. "I-I'm sorry. It's just…I am so bored here. I'm lonely, I have no one to talk to here. You are rarely here and barely talk to him whenever you are here. I don't know what's going on with you, but I am dying of boredom here." She explained. "I know you probably don't trust me because of before, but I give my word that I won't try and escape." She paused. "Please Erik." He stood there, thinking. He knew she was getting bored and that he wasn't around much, but there was a reason for that. She was right, he really didn't fully trust her, but perhaps there was enough trust to let her roam around the camp.

"Alright, I will let you have a little more freedom." She thought she didn't hear him correct. "You can roam around the camp; you aren't confined to this tent. But you still will be watched and any thought of escaping and you'll be back to staying in this tent without a second chance. Understood?" She quickly nodded.

"Yes, thank you Erik." Getting off the bed, she rushed over and gave him a hug, not able to stop herself. Dropping whatever he had in his hand, his arms wrapped around her waist. The feeling of her in his arms again…he had missed that feeling. Resting her head on his chest, she let out a peaceful sigh, feeling like she was where she belonged. Feeling his arms loosen around her, she pulled back to look up at him, locking eyes with him. _Kiss her…_ he wanted to kiss her again, feel her lips against his.

"Erik!" Hearing someone calling his name, he pulled away and lets his arms falls from her waist. Stepping back, he grabbed his things off the ground as she stepped back a couple of steps. Straightening up, he looked at her.

"Thank you again, Erik." Not saying anything, he turned and left the tent. Left alone in the tent again, however she knew now that should leave the tent. Though she could leave the tent now, she decided to wait until tomorrow morning. The day was already late and the sky wasn't darkening outside. With the excitement of now able to leave the tent, she knew she would sleep good tonight.

By the next morning, Christine was ready to leave the tent. After getting dressed, she stopped by the tent flaps. Taking a deep breath, she suddenly felt nervous. _You can do it, just open the flaps and walk outside._ Taking another deep breath, she opened one of the flaps and for a second, was blinded by the sun. Letting her eyes adjust to the brightness, she looked around that camp. She remembered how the camp looked like when she first arrived and it hadn't changed. As she looked around, she noticed everyone staring at her and it was stares that didn't make her feel comfortable.

"Makes you want to hide back in the tent, doesn't it?" Turning around, she saw a woman approaching her. Her blonde hair falling passed her shoulders as she stopped in front of Christine. "But I am sure you are used to it."

"Yes, but I'm not used to…hateful stares." Christine glanced around at all the stares, noticing Rhona staring as well and it wasn't a very nice stare. Meg looked over at Rhona, seeing the look she was giving.

"Air ais dheth Rhona! An Taibhse Tha e aingeal air ais! (Back off Rhona! The Phantom has his angel back!)" Meg shouted to Rhona and Christine could see daggers being thrown. She didn't know what Meg exactly said, but whatever it was, it couldn't have been nice. Looking back at Christine, Meg completely ignored Rhona's glare. "Do not worry about Rhona. She may share a bed with Erik, but he doesn't belong to her. Come, breakfast is being served and I'm sure you are hungry." Taking Christine's arm, they two walked passed all the staring eyes as they made their way to the mess hall. Entering the Hall, more staring eyes and Christine almost wanted to rush back to the tent. Seeing how uncomfortable Christine was becoming, Meg looked around for the one person who could help. "Taibhse! Faigh do na h-Alba thairis air Rubha Robhanais an seo! (Phantom! Get your Scottish butt over here!)" She shouted, not caring that all heads turned to look at them. Now Christine really wanted to hide back in the tent. Her cheeks turned bright red as she saw all eyes on her and Meg.

"I am slowly regretting asking you for this favor." He appeared behind them, making Christine jump at the sound of his voice.

"What favor?" She turned around to look at Erik.

"Erik didn't want you to feel lonely and thought you could use the company." Meg answered. Christine looked back at Erik, surprised that he did this.

"You did this?" She asked him, wanting him to say it.

"I have." He leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Even a Phantom can be nice." _Phantom? No, he couldn't be…could he?_


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: Hello everyone, Happy July! I hope you are all enjoying your summer. I managed to upload another chapter. I couldn't figure out how to put this chapter because I said before, I redid the story outline so I'm still trying to figure out how to do these chapters. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it and don't worry, there are a lot more Meg moments to come.**

 **Enjoy**

Chapter 32: Camp Life

"You sure don't make my life any easier." Scoffing, her hand tossed a loose strand behind her shoulder.

"Well someone has to." Meg smirked. "Since the guys are out on missions and you are doing everything you can to stay away from Christine which I am having a hard time understanding why." Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she tilted her head slightly.

"I have my reasons." He said back, hoping Meg would drop it. However, he knew Meg and she really dropped a subject whenever it came to Erik's personal life. She had become like a sister to him after she married one of his close friends. Whenever her husband would be off on a mission, he always entrusted Erik to look after his wife. Though many times people thought Erik and Meg had affairs, their relationship was more brother and sister.

"Of course you do." Sitting on the edge of the bed, she straightened up, placing her hands on her lap. "Now, just skip the stubborn part and tell me the reasons." He looked at her, saying nothing. "Erik, swallow your stubbornness and tell me."

"I will not." Rolling her eyes, she shook her head.

"You are a hopeless stubborn man."

"So I have been told." Standing up, she fixed her dress. "Now if you are done, I have some things to attend to."

"I hope one of those is talking to Christine."

"No." Rolling her eyes, Meg knew it was pointless to argue with him. Arguing with Erik was like arguing with a wall; rarely anyone won an argument against Erik. After years of knowing him, she gave up trying to argue with him. She always teased him that whoever won an argument against him, he should marry her. And at this point, there was only one woman who won an argument against him.

Leaving the tent, she made her way over to the Hall where some of the women were preparing the midday meal. Coming into the kitchen, a few women were getting the vegetables were to be cooked. She saw Christine sitting in a chair next to a younger woman, peeling potatoes. She had only been out and about camp for two days and she already was helping out with either preparing the meals or fixing torn clothing. Coming to sit next to the them, she grabbed a potato and started peeling it.

"That must have been terrible for you." The young lass said as Christine finished her story of how she was captured. "Sure not my idea of how to meet him."

"Aye, but that's not the first time you had met him." Christine looked at Meg, wondering how she knew that. The young woman's eyes widen.

"You have meet the captain before?" Her voice was a little larger than Christine wanted and it caught the attention of all the other women in the room. "Oh please, tell us." Christine glanced at the women who had stopped whatever they were doing to listen.

"Alright...well it was Erik and Seten were prisoners at Kilchurn. I was visiting my father there at the prison, that's where I first saw him. Though at the time, I didn't really know who he was. A little fight broke out and of course, Erik was involved. My father put him and the others on a punishment for a week…" As Christine told the story, Meg noticed Rhona standing in the doorway, listening. "I tried to help them out by sneaking food into their cells at night."

"You did that?" A few of the women gasped.

"I did, for the whole week. I didn't get caught and I knew the men were very grateful." Christine continued. The women listened with interested, not caring that the midday meal was no longer being worked on. "My father had sentenced Erik to death and that…that was something I couldn't with, knowing his death would be because of me." Despite who she is, she still cared for him, the rebel enemy and everyone noticed that. "So…I helped him escape." Every woman's eyes widen and mouth dropped.

"That was you who helped him?" One woman asked.

"An English princess helping a Scottish rebel?" Another woman commented. The room broke out into chatter, some in English others in Gaelic. Christine looked at Meg confusingly.

"Did I say something wrong?" She asked Meg.

"No, they are just surprised that you helped Erik escape. We all heard that he had managed to escape the prison with Seten and a few others, but we always wondered how. He never told anyone about you, only the men that were with him at the time."

"But you know."

"Yes, I knew. Despite how popular he is, he is a very private man and doesn't really spill out his secret to everyone, not even to his comrades. There's only a few people he confides in, four actually."

"One of them is you." Meg nodded.

"Yes, he is like a brother to me. He knows my secrets and I know his. The others are Seten, Douglas and Tor." The first two she knew, but this Tor, she didn't know him.

"Who is Tor?" Christine asked.

"A…friend of Erik's." Meg answered, but Christine knew that she was hiding something. It seemed like everyone was hiding something from her, something that they didn't want her to find out and she knew it involved Erik.

"Ladies!" All heads turned to see a man in the doorway. Rhona had now moved to the wall, out of his way. "I have some news to share which most of you will be excited about." All eyes were on him, waiting for the news that he had. "The men are expected to return this evening." Every woman's face lighted up with the news, smiles appeared on every face in the room. "With that, the Chief has ordered a celebration for the arrival."

"What does that mean?" Christine leaned closer to Meg, whispering.

"It means midday meal is pushed off and we have to work on preparing the food for the celebration." Meg answered. "Oh Christine, you'll love it. Lots of singing, dancing, food…we Scots know how to throw a celebration."

"I don't know Meg; I don't think Erik would allow me to come." Though she had a little more freedom, she was still being watched like a hawk and had to follow Erik's strict rules. Meg rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

"Don't you worry about him. Of course you'll come. It will be a celebration unlike those in London." She winked at Christine before returning her attention to the man. Christine sighed, leaning back in the chair she was sitting on. At first, she was unsure if she wanted to attend this celebration. The last celebration, she was stuck in the tent all alone and she was miserable. She didn't want to do that again so she decided she would attend. She thought if Erik would attend or he would hide away to avoid her as he had done lately. Maybe this celebration would be a chance for her to talk to him….

 **For those who were wondering about Erik and Meg's relationship, you know now.**

 **Reviews are welcome : )**


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: Hello everyone, you are having a good week so far. I have a new chapter for you guys. I didn't realize how long this chapter was until I looked at the word count (I usually don't look until I'm about to upload it) So I ended up splitting the chapter into two so the next one should be upload either later today or tomorrow.**

 **Now, there's a lot of new names and people being introduced in this chapter and will continued to be introduced in the new few chapters. I will try and make it simply when writing about them. However, if you need help remembering who is who; the story is inspired by the Highland Guard series so all the information of the characters are from the series (I do not own the series so they don't belong to me). So if you ever need to remember who is who, just look up Highland Guard series and you'll be able to find all the characters and their information.**

 **I hope I explained that good. Also, there's Gaelic and lots of it. Don't worry, I put the translation right with it.**

 **Enjoy the chapter**

Chapter 33: Meeting the Phantoms

The long ride was torture, the saddle not feeling at all comfortable after over 10 hours of riding. He had refused to take a break halfway, wanting to get back and in the arms of his wife, as well as the comfort as a bed. Ignoring how much his body wanted a break from riding or to take a nap, he pressed on. With the mountains coming into view, he knew he was almost there.

"Faisg air an sin! (Nearly there!)" He shouted behind him to the group of men who were eager to get back as well. A loud cheer erupted from them as they rode through the dense trees. Their cheer could be heard from the campsite, a signal that they were here. Appearing from the trees, they could see a large crowd forming to welcome them back. Everyone had stopped whatever they were doing to welcome their warriors back. Several cheers ran out as the group halted their horses and dismounted. Right away, his eyes found the one person he was looking form. Once off his horse, he quickly rushed to her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Fàilte air ais mo ghràdh (Welcome back my love)" She said in his ear, hugging him tight. Whispering something into her ear, she giggled as she pulled away. Taking his head, she led him through the crowd and away to their tent. The others watched as their chief walked away, knowing where they were going. Walking through the camp, he passed Erik's tent just as Christine and Meg came out. His eyes widen as he spotted the English princess and stopped, causing his wife to notice and stop as well. "Tor?"

"Dè tha i a 'dèanamh an seo?" He asked, his voice hard and not happy. Glancing in the direction he was looking, she understood what he meant.

"Chaidh a toirt am braighdeanas aig aon de Erik aig creach. (She was taken hostage during one of Erik's raid." She answered.

"Bhràigh? (Hostage?)" He repeated, making her nod. "Tha fhios aig Erik mo riaghailt mu dheidhinn sin. (Erik knows my rule about that)" He sighed. "Càite bheil e a-nis? (Where is he now?)" He asked his wife. She looked at him, a slight disappoint on her face now.

"Tha an loch. (The lake)" She answered. Without another word, he headed towards the lake. Watching him go, she sighed. She would have to now wait until afterwards. This was another reason she hated his role as chief, but she had learned to deal with it. With her plan now halted, she went back to Hall to help prepare the food for the celebration.

Heading towards the lake, he couldn't believe Erik disobeyed his order. Out of all the warriors, he always trusted Erik to follow the rules. He hoped Erik had a good explanation for this or else he would have Erik's head and even Bruce wouldn't stop him. Arriving at the lake, he spotted Erik by the water. He must have just finished his swim and was getting dressed.

"What the bloody hell where you thinking?!" Tor practically yelled at him. Turning around to see his chief standing there and the tone wasn't very friendly.

"I take it you know." Erik said, wishing he could have told Tor himself.

"Aye, I know. I saw her coming out of your tent." He said. "And right now, I am waiting for a damn explanation for why the princess of England is walking around the camp with Saint's wife." Sighing, he grabbed his shirt and put it on.

"It was an accident, I never intended on taking hostages, especially her. We attacked a castle that her father happen to be staying at." Tor rolled his eyes, knowing Erik couldn't resist a tougher challenge. "I didn't know his daughter and nephew were with him. When we attacked, my men found his nephew and I knew having him as a hostage would give us an advantage." And he was right. "However, I didn't expect her to try and rescue him. I didn't know who she was at the time, but when I later learned I originally planned on letting her go." He explained. He continued to explain as Tor listened. His eyebrows rose when he learned that William managed to escape thanks to Christine's planning. Once Erik finished, he waited for Tor's response.

"Have you sent word to Gustave?" He asked Erik.

"Yes, we're waiting for a respond now." He answered. Sighing, his anger simmered down now that he knew the whole story.

"And you are sure she won't try and run off?" He asked.

"I am sure, especially now with all of us here."

"She doesn't know about you, does she?" He shook his head.

"No, she knows nothing. She might have her guesses, but I have hid any evidence of that from her."

"Good. We do not need her to find out about us."

"Yes, sir."

"I still am not happy about the situation but there is nothing that can be done now." Erik only nodded. "I just hope all of this is worth it."

"So do I." Erik said. Tor nodded as he started to turn away. Erik watched as his chief walked away, back towards the camp. He said where he was, thinking. He hope all of this was worth it, in more ways than one. Though a part of him wanted all of this to be war, a part of him didn't want to see her go. No matter how much he forced himself to stay away from her, she couldn't leave his thoughts. _Keep your distance, Erik. If you don't, it will only be harder to say goodbye._ He knew he couldn't only stay away for so long before he would lose all power to.

Celebrations began and every member of camp was there. The Hall filled with food and drinks for everyone, tables out for people to sit and eat. While some were in the Hall, others were out in the clearing where musicians had set up to play for people to dance to. Christine sat in the Hall, by herself at a table. She knew Meg was with her husband who Meg wanted Christine to meet. Finishing off the food on her plate, she glanced around at the people in the Hall. She definitely felt left out; well she was the only Englishwoman in a Scottish camp. She was the outlander.

"Christine!" Hearing her name, she looked over to see Meg waving her hand, motioning her to come over. Since she was finished with her food, she got up and walked over to the doorway where Meg and a very large man was standing. The man had to be around Erik's height, maybe just a little shorter. His hair almost matched her chocolate locks, though not as curly. She could tell that he had recently shaved, maybe when he got back earlier today. Coming closer, she noticed his light brown eyes, almost like a caramel color. "Christine, I'd like you to meet my husband, Magnus Mackay." Meg introduced them. _Magnus Mackay? I have heard that name somewhere before…_ She thought as she shook the strong man's hand.

"So the rumors are true." He said in a think Scottish accent.

"Rumors?" She repeated, a little confused on what he meant.

"That Erik managed to capture the princess of England." He answered. "He really outdid himself."

"He certainly did, though I'm sure he couldn't resist her beauty." Another man said as he approached them. Looking at him, Christine had to look up again. His dark blond hair was shorter than Mackay and Erik, but had eyes similar to Erik's. As usually, he was tall and big, something Christine was starting to notice with these men.

"Christine, this is Erik MacSorley." Meg introduced them. His name too sounded familiar but Christine couldn't remember where she heard it.

"Pleasure to meet you, sir." She held out her hand.

"Pleased to meet you as well." Taking his hand, his brought it up to his lips. "Never thought we'd meet the princess of England, especially as a hostage. Though for a hostage, you sure are getting treated like one." MacSorley commented.

"I am surprised Tor is allowing this, with his rules. The Chief must be going soft." Mackay commented. _So this Tor guy must be the chief…but of what?_

"Well if I recall, you were just as ruthless as Tor until you met me." Meg said, glancing up at her husband. "We women have a way of turning even the toughest of warriors into the gentlest of men." Mackay rolled his eyes as MacSorley shook his head. "Oh Hawk, I'm sure Ellie would agree with me." _Hawk? What is with all these names?_ Meg giggled as she looked at Christine who had a confused look on her face. "Why don't we go outside?" Meg suggested. Agreeing, Christine followed the three of them outside towards the clearing where most of the camp was. As she walked, she noticed people still staring at her. Maybe it was because she was walking with MacSorley or because she still was an English woman in a Scottish camp. Either way, she was getting rather annoyed by al the stares.

At one point, MacSorley left the small group to go find his wife. Now Christine felt like a third wheel with Meg and her husband. However, Meg still included her in all conversations, not matter who with. Even her husband talked to her which surprised her a little.

"Had Boyd been treating you good?" Mackay asked Christine.

"Yes he has, minus the time he has yelled at me…and the slap on the behind when he captured me." Christine still remembered that, the hard slap.

"A slap on the behind is more of a discipline rather than anything. You must have been doing something to cause it."

"Well the kicking and screaming may have something to do with it." Mackay chuckled as Christine's respond.

"Aye, that would do it. He hasn't done it again, has he?" Christine shook his head.

"No he hasn't."

"I would hope so." Their heads turned to see a man approach them. Christine's mouth slightly parted as her eyes gazed at the man in front of her. This man could easily rival Erik with his built. His long strands of gold stopped around his shoulders, a slight wave to them. His eyes, the cerulean blue that just made his appearance more striking. _Are all Scots this striking and rough looking?_

"Chief…" Mackay bowed his head slightly, a sign of respect. Christine knew that this man had power and was well respected.

"Chief?" She repeated, making him nod. "So you are…" She tried reminding the name. "…Tor?"

"Aye, lass. Tormad MacLeod." He said his full name, making Christine's eyes widen. That was a name she knew, almost as well as Erik's. She had heard many stories of the MacLeod clan. They had a reputation of being ruthless in warfare, one of the more powerful clans in Scotland.

"Tormad MacLeod?" She repeating, hopefully pronouncing his name correctly.

"Aye, your highness."

"Oh please, call me Christine."

"Very well, Christine." He glanced at Mackay. "Aon mhionaid aonar. (One moment alone)" She couldn't miss the authoritative tone. Mackay nodded and walked away, giving them privacy. Christine looked nervously at Tor. Though she knew he wouldn't do anything, she still feared him. "Had I known of what happened, I would never have allowed Erik to bring you here. I have very strict rules, even when it comes to hostages."

"Don't put the blame on Erik. It's as much my fault as his. He intended on letting me go, but…well as you can tell, it didn't happen. I admit, I tried escaping a few times."

"Yes, Erik told me the whole story. And I must say, I'm quite impressed." To have Tormad MacLeod say that was huge and something Christine would never forget. "As much as I can understand the position Erik was in, I still am against female hostages. All my men know that." She only nodded. "However, we cannot change the past. Erik will face his consequen-" Christine's eyes widen.

"Oh no, sir. Please don't punish Erik for something I caused." He begged him.

"Erik has already accepted." Sighing, she only nodded. "For an English woman, you sure care about us Scots a lot." She looked at him, knowing she did care about them a lot, more than most would.

"So I have been told." She said.

"Hmm…well I will let you enjoy the celebration. If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask. You have nothing to fear from us…Nach eil a h-uile sgeulachdan mu bhòcain a tha fìor. (not all the ghost stories are true)" Titling her head, she unsure what he said.

"Thank you, sir." He nodded slightly before walking away. Watching him walk away, Christine couldn't help but wonder. All these men, the warriors…why had they all gathered here? Yes, this was a safe place where they could hide from the English. But surely they must know of the Phantoms that roam the forests. But they seem like they don't fear anything. _Only the Phantoms fear nothing..._ Wait, could these men be? Shaking her head, she scoffed at her thoughts. There was no way she could be at a Phantom camp and still be alive. The thought of these men being the legendary Phantoms was ridiculous. However, she knew they were all hiding something…but what?

 **As I said before, new characters were introduced like Tor, MacSorley and Mackay. Now, I will be using their actual names and their nicknames throughout the story now. If you wants, I can put their names in () next to it to help, only if you guys want me to. I have no problem doing that, just let me know.**

 **Reviews are welcome : )**


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: Hello everyone and here's the next chapter I promised I would upload. It's long, quite long. Now I read the reviews and I will put like a cheat sheet on all the Phantoms' and their wives/lovers probably put it next after this chapter. I'll think of how to arrange for you guys and will upload it either tomorrow or the next day.**

 **So I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and I will try and upload the next one very soon.**

Chapter 34: A Dance

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Meg asked as she sat down next to Christine. The celebration had gone on for a few hours now and there was no sign of it dying it.

"Very much." Christine answered. "I'm glad you told me to come."

"You're welcome." Meg said proudly. "Have you seen Erik at all?" She asked, making Christine shook his head.

"No I haven't. In fact, I don't think I've seen him since yesterday. I know he's been basically avoiding me since the day with the bath tub." Meg's eyes narrowed.

"What with the bath tub?" She asked. Looking at her friend, Christine wondered if she should tell Meg.

"It's nothing really. We just…shared a bath together." Meg's eyes widen as her mouth dropped. Apparently to her, it wasn't 'nothing really'.

"You shared a bath with Erik?" Christine nodded. "As in no clothes, in a tub at the same time?" Again, she nodded. "Why the bloody hell didn't he tell me? Nach math àrdanach rag-mhuinealach ...(that no good arrogant stubborn…)" Meg went off, making Christine laugh. "When I get my hands on him…" She groaned. Christine couldn't help but laugh and almost feeling bad for when Erik will see Meg. "Anyway…alright, I want all the details." Christine was always wondering how she would switch that quick. She certainly would need to get stories from Mackay before she leaves.

"There's really not much to tell. We shared a bath together, he washed me…then we just laid or sat there, however you put it." Glancing away, her mind recalled the memory of that day. The feeling of his arms around her, skin against skin…how gentle his touch was. "It's something I will never forget."

"And I'm sure getting a glimpse of his body was a plus." Meg winked, making Christine blush. Yes, that was a plus. She would never forget how he looked and the feeling of that hard muscular body against hers.

The sound of the music picking invited the crowds to join and some to dance. Standing up, Christine walked over to watch as people began to dance to the music. Watchers sometimes clapped to the beat or cheer on the ones dancing. A Scottish yell was quite different from most and could be recognized anywhere. As the music picked up, so did the dancing. Her eyes watched the movement of the women's dresses, the distance between the ground the feet of the people at how high they could lift their feet. It almost made her want to try and dance, but she didn't know any of the steps. She would only be able to watch and wish she was dancing.

"Christine, come dance to this one." Meg took her arm and practically dragged her out with the other people as the music started to change to another song.

"I don't know the steps." She tried protesting, but Meg wouldn't let her go.

"They're simple." She began to show Christine the steps as Christine watched and tried to copy them. One has to be very coordinated with oneself to dance this and have very good balance. Attempting again, she was slightly getting it. "You're getting it."

"Barely, I'm afraid." She sighed. "Perhaps I should just watch."

"No you won't. You will dance and have a good time. I will not have my best friend be by herself." Shaking her head, Christine tried again. Each time, she got it and better. "See? You're getting it." Smiling, she was getting it. Suddenly the music changed and a few men joined in. Mackay came over to Meg, taking her hand before starting the dance. Just as Christine was about to walk away since clearly this was a partners dance, a hand took hers. Looking up, she saw Malcolm.

"Malcolm!" She smiled, happy to see him.

"May I have this dance?" He asked.

"Of course you may." She answered, smiling at him. As they danced, Christine couldn't help the smile on her face. At this point, she didn't care who was watching or if anyone would object. She was having fun dancing with Malcolm and no one, not even Erik could ruin this for her.

Finally making his way through the crowd, he was starting to regret his decision to come to the celebration. At first, he was planning on hiding away until the celebration was over. However, after a talk with Tor, Erik decided to show his face. Skipping the meal, he ventured out to where the music and dancing was taking place. Walking through the crowds, his eyes glanced towards the dancing. He stopped when he saw Christine dancing…dancing with Malcolm. A surge of jealousy ran though him. _What is with you? She's not yours! She can dance with whoever she wants!_ He tried telling himself that, but it wasn't working.

"Ah look who finally showed up." An arm hung across his shoulders as MacGregor greeted his fellow warrior.

"Sod off, Arrow." Pushing MacGregor's arm off, he watched Christine dance.

"Aw come on, Phantom. Lighten up." He slapped Erik's arm. Rolling his eyes, Erik tried to ignore MacGregor which was usually hard.

"I'd watch it, Arrow. Erik hasn't been in the best of moods lately." Seten commented.

"Sod off the both of you." Arrow rolled his eyes, mumbling something in Gaelic. "I heard that." His head turned towards the younger warrior. "Just because you have a godlike face, doesn't mean it's protected from my fists." Erik threatened. Though women loved it, MacGregor hated his godlike face with his tawny locks that could rival a lion's and green eyes.

"Let it go, Phantom." Seten said to the warrior. "It ain't worth it." Erik glanced at his partner, knowing he was right. Though it would feel good, he already was on Tor's bad side. Turning away from the handsome warrior, he looked back at the woman who was slowly capturing his heart.

With the song ended, Christine thanked Malcolm for the dance as she left the space considered the dance floor. The song had changed to a much slower dance and Christine needed a moment from the dance. She didn't realize dancing could be like a workout. Off the dance floor, she let out a breath.

"Surely the princess has danced before." Looking up, a woman by the name of Janet Lamont, wife of Ewen Lamont who could out hunt any man or beast.

"I have, but not quite like this. Dances in London are a bit…different." Christine answered.

"I gather they are." Glancing around the crowd of people, Janet noticed Erik in the crowd. "I see Erik finally made an appearance." Christine looked out, finding him almost right away.

"Does Erik dance?" Christine asked Janet, making her shake her head.

"No, he doesn't. And no one can persuade him to dance. Rhona has even tried and failed. At this point, we all gave up hope on trying to get him to dance." Janet explained.

"Why do you want him to dance?" Christine asked.

"There is this dance that has been sort of a tradition here. All the warriors and their wives, or their woman if they unmarried, dance together. They form a large circle and dance around a woman in the middle. She first will dance with her husband and then man opposite. After they circle her again, she dances with two other men before it's another woman's turn." Janet explained as Christine listened with interested. "There's a sort of order or ranking as you might call it."

"A ranking?"

"Aye. You see, all the warriors have a certain ranking."

"I see. I know Tor is the chief."

"Aye he is, so his wife would go first."

"And then whoever the second in command's wife goes?" Janet nodded.

"After all the women go, it is the men's turn."

"It sounds like fun dance."

"Oh it is, Christine. It's a shame Erik has never joined the dance." Christine glanced as the masked warrior.

"Yes, it is a shame." Looking at him, she wondered why he never danced. Maybe he wasn't good at dancing, or may he was. However, it was hard to imagine such a warrior dancing around. Though it would be something she would have love to see.

When the music stopped, Christine could hear someone shouting something over the chatter. It mustn't have been something bad since no one was in a panic. Instead, everyone cleared the dance floor. She wondered if that dance that Janet was talking about was about to happen. Sure enough, all the warriors and their wives walked out onto the dance floor. All, but one. All eyes glanced at the masked warrior, waiting to see if maybe he'll dance this time. Everyone watched as he walked through the crowd, not giving any indication if he was going to dance or not. Christine watched him, noticing that he was getting closer and closer. He stopped when he stood next to her, not saying a word. Her eyes glanced up at his, wondering what he was doing. All eyes kept on him, still hoping this time would be different. His eyes glanced down at hers, locking with them.

"Dance with me?" He asked softly. Christine's mouth parted, more surprised that he was dancing her to dance with him than the fact that he was going to dance.

"Of course." She answered. She saw the hint of a smile as his hand rested on the curve of her back, leading her onto the dance floors. Gasps left people's mouths as Erik and Christine took their place in the circle. The conductor signaled the musicians and they started to play. Now she was panicking; she didn't know this dance. After a bow, they danced around in a circle one way and then the other way twice. Christine was trying to predicted what the next move was, though she wasn't expecting Erik's arm to wrap around her waist at one point. Glancing at what everyone was doing, she knew she looked so lost and unsure of what to do. Erik didn't give her any hint of what to do. _Just go with it. You are dancing with Erik…_

She remembered what Janet said about everyone dancing around one person in the middle, starting with the women first. Sure enough, Tor's wife was first. Watchers cheered on her name as she danced in the middle before first dancing with her husband and then the man across. She wondered who would be next, well whoever is the second in command's wife. As Tor's wife was finishing, Christine glanced around to see who would be next.

"You're turn, Christine." Erik said, making her eyes widen.

"Wait, what?" No time to get a reply, Erik gently pushed Christine out into the middle. With a deer in headlights look, she stood there for a moment as they circled around her.

"Dannsa! (dance!)" Meg shouted out, somehow snapping Christine out of it. Remembering some of the steps she learned earlier, she decided to do that as they all circled around her. When they stopped, she was facing Erik. Dancing first with him and then another warrior, she was remembering what Tor's wife did. After the first round, they circled her again as she danced in the middle. After two mare dances with two more men, her turn was up and she went back to stand Erik and MacSorley whose wife went next.

Remembering that Janet said it goes by rank, she realized that Erik was second in command if she went after Tor's wife. Glancing at him, she couldn't believe that he had that much power. Though she knew every respected him and now she knew why. That meant if something had to Tor or he decided to retire, Erik would become Chief. She still didn't know of what exactly, but she was determined to find out.

"You did well." Erik's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

"I am still new to this dancing." She said to him. He only nodded as to they had to circle around Meg. A few men cheered Meg as she danced, making her smile and giggle. During her turn, she ended up dancing with her. Though Christine would normally be jealous of another woman dancing with him, she knew Meg's relationship with Erik and had no fear at all. And technically, Erik didn't belong to Christine. However, he almost seemed to making some sort of claim on her. It would be interesting to see how they all treat her now, though she knew Rhona might hater her even more now.

As each woman danced, Erik would tell Christine who they were and who their husbands were. She had known a few from talking with them earlier, but the others she didn't know. Like Anna Campbell who is married to Arthur Campbell whom Erik said is one of the best scouters in all of Scotland, almost could Ewen Lamont, Janet's husband, a run for his money. The last woman to dance was Mary who was Kenneth Sutherland's wife and also Janet's sister. With all the women finished dancing, it was the men's turn and first was Tor. As he dancing, Christine was amazed that such a man could dance. Many cheered him on as he danced. When Tor was finished, it was Erik's turn. It seemed the who camp cheered and yelled during his turn. Christine couldn't help but smile as he danced. Dancing first with her, she noticed a bit of a smile as he danced with her and many of the warriors noticed it, as well as their wives. After Erik finished, next was MacSorley, followed by MacGregor, Mackay, MacLean, Lamont, Campbell, MacRuairi and Sutherland. _So this is the ranking among the warriors?_ Christine kept track of who went in the ranking. When all the men finished, they repeated the movements at the beginning. Christine remembered those steps and danced along with Erik. As the music stopped, her foot decided to trip over her other. Thankfully, Erik was quick and was able to catch her before she would have fallen. Pulling her up, he had pulled a little closer to him than he had intended. Slowly her eyes made their way up to lock with his, her lips slightly parted. Their mouths just inches from each other, their bodies practically against each other. They just stood there, ignoring what was happening around them. For a moment, Christine thought he was going to kiss he for he had leaned in slightly. Tilting her head back slightly as if waiting for the kiss, but it never came. He pulled away like he was forcing himself to pull away from her. Stepping back from her, she noticed the pained look in his eyes. He was about to say something but didn't and turned away to walk away, disappearing into the crowd. Standing there for a moment, she was both confused a little hurt at his actions. Pursing her lips together, she went after him. Too many times she had let him walk off with an explanation, but not this time. This time, she would get him to talk to her no matter what.

 **First dance goes to Christine, that truly does say something, doesn't it? We finally get them interacting again : D**

 **Interested to know what will happen now, find out soon**

 **Reviews are welcome : )**


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: Hello everyone. I know I took a little longer with this chapter than I wanted to, but I got it finished and uploaded. I couldn't come up with a title for this chapter, hence why that is just blank. I had no idea what to call it so for now, it's going to be blank unless I find a good title for it. There is a French line that I added (not a very nice word). I was listening to POTO in French and decided to add a French line. BTW: if anyone hasn't heard the musical in French, I recommend it. It's very good, I love it.**

 **One thing I want to say and then I'll stop so you can read the chapter. As I read the reviews, I do get questions sometimes which I try to answer without spoiling anything. However, if you are a guest and leave a review with a question, I can't answer it (I don't know why, FanFiction won't let me) So if you guys do any questions about this story or another story or anything, feel free to DM me. I usually reply within a few hours, it depends if I have my laptop nearby. I am happy to answer any questions you guys have or if you just want to talk, that's fine too. Other than that, I always enjoy reading your reviews.**

 **Oh, someone had asked about Christine's age since I had said Erik was in his early 30's. Christine is in her early 20's so she was quite young when she first met Erik. They are roughly 10 years apart from each other.**

 **Okay I am done now, promise. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter**

Chapter 35:

"Erik…Erik, wait up!" She called after him, trying to keep up with him. His long strides let him gain some distance, but she wasn't giving up. However, he was stopping nor planning on stopping. Soon they left the crowds of the celebration which now Christine hoped he would stop. Picking up the skirt of her dress, she ran after him, gaining some distance. "You bloody Scot!" Reaching out, she managed to grab his arm. Stopping suddenly, she might as well have ran into a wall. Falling back onto the ground, she managed not to hit her head on the hard ground. Groaning from the fall, she looked up at him as he just stared down at her. "Oh no, that's fine. Don't help me up." He raised an eyebrow at her as she got up, brushing off her dress. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him, now angrier at him than before.

"Are you alright?"

"Am I okay?" She repeated, blood boiling now. "Are you bloody serious?" She asked him, almost raising her voice. "You dance for the first time with and then without a word, just leave! Do you always leave your woman hanging like that?" She asked him. "Get their hopes up and then just ignore them? Because if that's your plan, you are doing a marvelous job at it!" He stayed silent. "I don't know if you are still mad at me for what happened or what, but I have told you many times that I did not mean for that to happen. I don't know how else I can get you to believe me but you won't talk to me."

"I am not mad at you." He calmly said to her.

"Then why have you been avoiding me like I'm the plague?" She asked him, wanting to know. Looking at her, he sighed. She had no idea how she was affecting him so.

"Christine, I…" He tried figuring out a way to tell her. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Hurt me?" She repeated. "How would you hurt me?" She asked, confused.

"To give you false hope for any future." He answered. Christine noticed a slightly pain in his eyes. "I could never make you go through that kind of pain."

"You don't want me to through pain? You already are!" He tilted his head slightly as if he wasn't sure he under stood. "You are ignoring me, not giving me any reason why. That is the worst thing you could possibly do!"

"I don't know what else to do!" Both their voices started to rise. "This isn't easy for me either."

"Oh really?" She scoffed at him. "I find that very hard to believe."

"Do you know now?" He stepped closer. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to force myself away from you? That every time I see you, I just want pull you in my arms and never let you go. That every night I rather be sharing my tent with you than sharing a tent with Striker." That fact that she knows that Erik is spending his nights not with Rhona made her a little happier…just a little. "That I can't stop thinking of that night." She knew what he meant, the night they almost…

"I can't forget that either." Though she also can't remember what happened later and how angry he was, how his words hurt her. "We cannot change the past, what is done and done."

"Christine I-" He stepped closer and stopped himself. Looking up at him, she waited for what he will do. She watched him, almost seeing the inner battle he was fighting with himself. She knew what he wanted to do, he wanted to kiss her, hold her close to him. She was understanding what he meant now. _God give me courage…_

"You are not alone…" Their lips met in a kiss. Her heart soared as she felt his lips return her kiss. The feelings she had before seemed to burst out. Pulling away, she looked up at him. The look in his eyes that she had seen before returned. This was the Erik she knew. Cupping her face gently, he kissed her this time. All passion and desire returned as the kiss deepened. Slowly, her hands made their way around his neck, pulling him closer to her. His hands ran down her sides to come around her back, pulling her closer until all space between them disappeared. They didn't care about the celebration or if someone would see them, they only cared about each other.

Her lungs cried out, needing air. Pulling away for a breath, her head leaned in to rest against his. His arms were still around her and she knew he did not want to let her go; she didn't want to let go either. She could almost hear his heartbeat; it was almost matching hers.

"Tha feum agam ort...(I need you…)" He said breathless.

"Yes…" She replied breathless. Pulling away slightly, he looked at her. The pained look was back in his eyes. Shaking his head, he looked away. "Erik…" Placing her hand against his bare cheek, she turned his head back to look at her.

"I made a promise and I'm already breaking it. If Tor found out…"

"Putain Tor! (F*** Tor !)" Erik's eyes widen at Christine's French. He knew a little French and what she said wasn't nice at all.

"It's not just Tor's rules I'm breaking. I cannot take your innocent like that, with no future for us. I cannot do that to you."

"What if I let you? Give you my consent."

"You don't understand."

"Then tell me why so I can understand." His eyes locked with hers.

"Because I know that soon I will have to send you back and I may never see you again. If I take you…." He sighed. "…the pain of having to let you go will be too much to bear." A tear started forming in her eyes. Leaning in, he rested his forehead against hers. "Dè tha sibh a 'dèanamh dhomh? (What are you doing to me?)" He whispered in Gaelic. Feeling a tear run down her cheek, she knew more would come. They stood there for the longest time, arms around each other, their foreheads touching. No words left their mouths; no words needed to be said. Both knew that as much as they wanted this, they couldn't have it. This was only a dream that one day, they will have to wake up from. A dream that could never be…

A pair of cerulean blue eyes watched the warrior and woman from afar. He had witness the passionate kiss between his warrior and the princess. At first, he was furious with the warrior. But his fury softened as he watched more. As he watched them from afar, he realized something.

"Tor?" Hearing his wife's voice, he turned to see walking up to him. "What are you do-?" She started asking when she saw Erik and Christine in the distance. "Are you going to stop them?" She asked him, making him head his head.

"You can't stop two people from falling in love with each other."

 **Reviews are welcome : )**


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: Hello everyone. I hope you all having a good week so far. Here is the next chapter. I was going to upload it last night, but I was exhausted from work so I decided sleep instead. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and I'll try and upload the next one either today or tomorrow**

Chapter 36: Orders

"Wake up, Phantom!" Striker shouted as he threw a pillow towards the sleeping Phantom. "Or you'll sleep the day away!" Groaning as the pillow hit his face, he rolled onto his back. Rubbing his tired eyes, he was slowly regretting sharing a tent with Striker. The two didn't always get along, Tor rarely assigning them missions together. "Get your bloody arse up!" Something harder hit Erik's face and now he was getting pissed.

"Bloody hell, Striker!" He sat up, looking at the leather drink bag that he must've thrown at Erik.

"Tor wants to see you." He said as he picked up the drink bag, making Erik groan. After last night, Erik was in no mood to deal with Chief. Whenever Chief wanted to see you and at first thing in the morning, you knew it wasn't good. "And you know not to keep him waiting." Remembering what Christine said last night came to Erik's mind and he almost wanted to repeat it. But he knew Striker would tell Tor and then Erik would be done. Getting out of bed, he walked over the bowl of cold water and splashed it on his face. "The scars look good today."

"I slept with my mask off." Erik said, combing his fingers through his head. All the warriors knew about Erik's face and haven't seen it many times. Putting his clothes on, he tried to think of what Tor was going to say to him. Once dressed, he left the tent and headed towards Tor's tent.

Walking through the camp, he tried not to look in the direction of his. Passing his tent, he couldn't help but glance over. His eyes caught the sight of Christine sitting inside at the table, combing her long chocolate hair. _God, she's beautiful…_ She was beautiful, a beautiful angel. Forcing himself to look away, he continued his walk. Arriving at Tor's tent, he could see the Chief sitting at his table, writing something.

"You asked to see me." Erik said as he approached him. Tor looked up to see Erik standing there before leaning back in his chair.

"I did." Motioning the chair, Erik sat in the chair across from him. "I have orders from Bruce which he wants to carry out." This wasn't what Erik expected, but it was better than being yelled at. Handing the orders to Erik, Tor allowed him to read them over. "Who do you want to go with you?" He asked. As he read the orders, he thought of the men who could join him.

"Seten…Malcolm…I'll take Arrow with me, he could be useful." Erik answered, making Tor nod. "When do I leave?" He asked.

"As soon as possible." Tor answered. "Go, get your men." Nodding, Erik rose from his chair. "Erik?" He stopped to look at Tor, wondering he was going to say something about last night. "You know my thoughts on it…" He nodded, understand. "Just…be careful." He looked up at the masked warrior. "Make sure you're doing the right thing."

"What if the right thing is not the thing I or she wants?" He asked Tor, hoping to get some advice on what to do.

"I wish I could tell you that it gets easier, but it doesn't…not until you surrender flesh and blood." Tor answered.

"I never surrender."

"I know." Tor sighed as he rose to his feet, standing in front of Erik. "If you don't surrender, you'll a part of you'll never get back."

"Surrender to what?" He asked, a little confused.

"You'll know…" Erik sighed. "Go on now." Nodding, he left the tent. Walking back through the camp, Erik found Seten and told him to get Malcolm. Briefly explaining the mission, he went to find MacGregor as Seten went to find Malcolm. Finding MacGregor with his wife, Erik knew that she wouldn't be happy. However, if Erik needed MacGregor, he got him. With the two warrior now heading for the stable where their horses were, Seten and Malcolm were already getting the horses ready. Erik explained the mission to them, giving them all the details. All informed now, the four of them headed out. Although it meant leaving Christine, he had Meg, her husband and Douglas to keep an eye on her. He just hoped she would be alright while he was away. She was under his protection and now with him, he hoped nothing would happen to her.

 **Say bye to Erik, he'll be out of the story for about a chapter, don't worry he will be back.**

 **Reviews are welcome**


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N: Hello everyone. So I was able to finish up this chapter and upload it. I hope you guys enjoy it and I shall start the next one.**

Chapter 37: A Lover's Threat

When the morning meal was over, now Christine had to figure out what to do with the rest of the day. Midday meal won't be for several hours which gave Christine time to do whatever she wants. As she headed back to the tent, she could see Rhona talking to Janet Lamont, Ewen 'Hunter' Lamont's wife. Stopping, she noticed Janet wasn't enjoying the conversation between her and Rhona. At one point, they both looked Christine; Rhona of course giving her a mean look before walking away. Shaking her head, Janet walked over to Christine.

"Is everything alright?" She asked Janet.

"No Rhona just…" Janet sighed. "…she may think she has power, but in fairness, she doesn't. She may have been Erik's lover, but she is not his wife."

"Have been?"

"Erik has not touched Rhona since you came back in his life, except for that one moment when he returned to camp." Janet answered.

"I'm sure that is just…coincidence."

"Is it now?" Janet raised her eyebrows. "Is it coincidence that he danced with you and not then?"

"Well…" She couldn't explain it.

"It's not coincidence, Christine. And despite your circumstances and Tor's disapproval, we all approve on the idea of you two together."

"You do?" Christine asked, making Janet nod.

"Of course. We not all hate the English unlike Erik. If you weren't the princess, we'd all try and convince you to stay here."

"Really?" Janet nodded. "That means a lot hearing that."

"Well it's the truth." Hearing her name being called, she turned to see Ewen calling her. "Husband calls."

"Give my wishes to him."

"I will." Janet smiled. "I'll see you at midday meal." She said before turning and walking over to her husband. Taking a deep breath, Christine couldn't believe Janet said that they wanted Christine to stay here. _A life in Scotland…a life in Scotland with Erik._ She hadn't really thought about living in Scotland. England was always her home and all she really knew was London. She had travelled through England, but spent most of her life in London. Maybe a life in Scotland wouldn't be so bad. However, her father would never approve it.

As the day wore on, Christine steered clear of Rhona. She had learned that Erik went on an assignment and would gone for a couple of days or however long it takes him. That would explain why she hadn't seen Malcolm or Seten all day so far. Knowing now Erik was away, she wondered if this was Tor's way of keeping Erik away from her. However, she knew Erik was basically the best man they had so sending him would bring victory. She wondered what the assignment was hoped that it didn't involve killing any of her countryman.

"Look what have you done!" The sound of an angry voice yelling brought Christine back to Earth. Glancing in front of her, she saw a large pile of clothing on the ground in front of her and a bowl that was knocked off a table, it's content spilling all over the clothes. "I just washed all of those!" Looking up at the screaming woman, she realized it was Rhona.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry." She apologized, kneeling down to help pick up the clothes.

"Get away!" Rhona tried pushing Christine away. "I don't need your help."

"Let me at least rewash the clothes for you."

"I told you, I don't need your help nor do I want your help." She glared at Christine. "Go back to England where you belong, we don't want you here."

"I don't know what I have done to you for you to treat me like this."

"I think you do know what you've done."

"If this is about Erik, I have done nothing."

"Nothing? That dance wasn't nothing." She had a point. "I don't know what you're trying to do, but I suggest you stop it now. Erik is mine." Christine was silent. "You may have driven him from my bed, but that will change when he sends you back." She knew what Rhona was saying. The moment Christine leaves, Rhona would be back in Erik's bed. The thought of Erik and Rhona made Christine feel sick, but she kept her composure.

"You may think Erik is yours but he isn't." Now it was Christine's turn and she wasn't going to hold back. "And he certainly wasn't yours that night in my bed." Though they didn't make love, Rhona didn't need to know that. Just giving her the thought of Erik in Christine's bed was enough. However, Christine wasn't expecting a hard slap across her cheek.

"Bha thu a 'ghalla." Holding her cheek, Christine tried to keep the tears from coming. "Stay the bloodily hell away from Erik." Her threat was clear and Christine could only nod. Standing up, she looked down at Rhona. Deciding not to say another word, Christine just walked away. Heading towards the tent, Christine hoped no one would notice the red mark now on her cheek. Arriving at the tent, she closed the flaps and collapsed onto the bed. Tears ran down her cheek and she didn't care. For the first time since she was here, she wanted to leave. She wanted to go back to England and leave all of this behind. She didn't want to admit Rhona was right; Erik would never be hers. The war for his heart was one she could not win.

 **Clearly, Rhona and Christine will never be friends. ANyone wonder what Erik's reaction will be if finds out about this?**

 **Reviews are welcome**


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N: Hello everyone. So three chapters in one day, I am spoiling you guys though I'm sure you don't mind. I was going to post one very very long chapter, but decided to split it since it was too long. I hope you guys enjoy it and I'll see if I can make it four chapters in one day (fingers crossed)**

Chapter 37: A Talk with Chief

"I can't believe she did that!" Meg exclaimed. "Oh wait until I get my hands on her and teach her a lesson about messing with my best friend!" Christine shook her head, not wanting Meg to get involved.

"Meg, don't. She is not worth it and besides, it's too late now." Christine said. It had been a few days since that conversation with Rhona. Since then, Christine has mainly stayed hidden in the tent until the redness from the slap was gone and she felt like showing her face again. "Just please don't tell anyone, not even your husband."

"Christine, you have to tell Tor."

"What? Why?" She asked, not having intention of telling anyone, especially Tor.

"Christine, it's only right to. Tor doesn't approve of violence in the camp."

"He is very strict, isn't he?" Christine asked.

"Yes he is, but his rules are for very good reason. He is an excellent Chief and very well respected." Meg answered. "Please Christine, tell him. He should know about it." Sighing, she knew she should tell Tor.

"Alright, I will tell him." Standing up, she straightened the skirt of her dress. "Do you know where Tor is?" She asked Meg.

"Hall." Meg answered. Nodding, she left the tent to go in search of Tor. As she walked through the camp, she thought of how to explain to the Chief about what happened. She hoped he wouldn't be too angry.

Entering the Hall, she spotted Tor at one of the tables, finishing a meal. She was glad no one was with him. Walking over to him, she stood in front of him. Taking a deep breath, she knew there was no turning back now.

"T-Tor?" Hearing her voice, he looked up from his plate to see her standing there. Finishing up, he pushed the plate away and wiped his mouth. "Are you busy?" She asked him.

"No." He answered. "Is there something you need?" He asked her.

"I was wondering if I could talk to you." Seeing the look on her face, he knew it was something serious.

"Of course." Raising from his seat, Christine had to look up at him. _Why do these men have to be so tall?_ "Come with me…" Motioning her to follow him, they walked out of the Hall. Following him through the camp, she hoped Rhona wouldn't see her walking with Tor. Approaching his tent, she started to get a little nervous. Entering his tent, he closed the flaps to give them privacy. "Now, what is it you want to talk about?" He asked her, sitting down in a chair.

"Um well…Meg informed you that you don't tolerate violence an-"

"Was someone violent with you?" He asked her, suddenly getting very serious.

"It was just a slap…" She answered.

"Who was it?" He asked, almost demanding.

"Um…um…." She couldn't find the courage to reveal the name.

"Christine, I need to know who." He told her. "Meg is right, I do not tolerate violence, not matter how small it may be." She nodded.

"I understand, sir." Paused, she sighed. "I can't, I'm sorry. I know I should tell you…but, I can't." Tor sighed.

"I understand. However, Erik left me in charge of watching over you and he would not approve of this."

"I know."

"If you won't tell me who, then promise me, you will tell him." Tor said.

"I promise." He nodded.

"Good." Leaning back, Christine knew that meant she was dismissed. "Christine?" She turned back around to look at him. "Is there a certain reason why you won't tell me?" He asked her.

"I am not the person could can easily put blame on another person, even if it was their fault. I don't like seeing people punished. My father says I got that from my mother, she was the same way. I get a lot of things from her."

"We all inherit things from our parents, sometimes good or bad. Unfortunately, I got my father's bad temper." Christine smiled slightly. "She must have been a lovely woman."

"She was…" Christine took a deep breath. "My father never got over her death, nor have I. He truly loved her."

"The pain never fully goes away. I couldn't bear the thought of losing my wife. It's when you know you truly love someone; that the thought of losing them will be unbearable."

"I fear I know that feeling well now." Christine commented, making Tor's eyes narrow. Standing up, he walked over to the woman. "It's foolish though, that I'm feeling this." Tears started forming in her eyes. "I shouldn't be feeling this for him, but I…can't help it."

"Erik?" She nodded as a tear ran down her cheek, the one Rhona slapped. The sting had gone away after several hours but the memory was still there. Though he was used to comforting his wife whenever she cried; other women, not so much.

"It doesn't matter anyway. Soon all of this will be a memory." She knew the moment she would be back in England that she would never see Erik again, or any of them. Taking a deep breath to try and settle her emotions, Christine glanced up at the Chief. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to start crying."

"It's alright, Christine. I don't mind at all. It's hard loving someone who you don't know loves you back. My wife went through what you're going through now." He told her.

"Really? You put your wife through this?" She asked.

"It was a…not the way you would think. It was a rough start to our marriage and I admit, I was very distance to her. I had my reasons which of course are the same as Erik's. But overtime, we learned to trust each other and grew to love each other." She could see the smile in his eyes whenever he talked about his wife. "I wish I could tell you it gets easier, but it doesn't."

"That's better advice than what my father gave." Tor chuckled. "I don't think I'll tell him that though."

"It'll be our secret." She chuckled.

"Thank you, Tor…for this."

"You're welcome. I'm always here if you need anything." She nodded as she headed towards the flaps. Just as she was about to open them, they opened before she could touch them.

"Chief, I-" A man stopped when he saw Christine standing there. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"It's alright, I was just leaving." Christine said to the man.

"What is it?" Tor asked the man.

"Boyd is on his way back; said he should be arriving later today." _Erik is returning?_

"That is good news."

"Shall I arrange a celebration for their return?" The man asked Tor as Christine thought.

"I don't think so." Tor answered.

"Tor, I mean Chief…" Christine looked at him. "…might I suggest something else maybe?" She asked Tor who glanced at the man and then back at her.

"What do you have in mind?"

"A performance."

 **Looks like Christine made an ally of Tor and now she had something planned for Erik's return.**

 **Reviews are welcome**


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N: Hello everyone. I have a new chapter for you all. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and I will upload a new one tomorrow cuz I'll be away for the rest of the day.**

 **ENjoy:**

Chapter 39: A Phantom's Return

"A performance?" Tor repeated as if that word was foreign to him.

"Aye, a performance." Christine assured. "I don't know how well known performances are in Scotland, but in England, they are well known and everyone loves a good performance."

"I don't know, lass." The man said. "We may not like what you may like." Christine knew that so she decided to do something she never thought of doing.

"I understand, which is why it wouldn't be like any performance back in London."

"How so?" Tor asked, interested. Explaining her idea, Tor and the man seemed to agree with it. Getting Tor's approval on it, she explained how many people she would need and need the musicians right away. If Erik was returning in a few hours, she would need those few hours to get everything ready for it. Once finished explaining, Christine left the tent to go get the people she needed for this performance.

Just one more hour and he would be home. He had been away for several days now and was ready to return. They had stopped just an hour ago for a small break before continuing their ride. Malcolm and Seten knew that Erik wanted to return as quick as possible, as well MacGregor. Erik had sent word back earlier that they would arriving today and he knew Tor might have something arranged for them. However, he was in no mood for another celebration. Galloping through the trees, he kept his eyes forward. By the time they arrived, their horses were tired and so were they. As usually, a crowded gathered to welcome them back. Halting his horse, he noticed was nowhere in sight, but Rhona was. Walking up to him, she gave him a small hug.

"Glad to have you back." She said, making him only nod.

"I'm glad to see you have returned." His head turned to see Tor. "Mission accomplished?" Erik nodded. "Good, now come…" Erik and the others followed Tor as they merged through the crowd.

"Tor, I am not one for a celebration tonight." Erik told Chief.

"There will be no celebration tonight." Tor said, making Erik glance at MacGregor who shrugged. "Instead…there will be a performance."

"A performance?" Erik and MacGregor repeated.

"Aye, a performance." Tor said. "Christine has arranged for your return." The thought of Christine arranged something for him made him almost smile, but he didn't. He kept his face stern as they continued to walk.

Coming upon the opening, Erik noticed a little stage set up with branches and plaids to help make curtains and a background. People were gathered around, waiting for them. The warriors were sitting in the front, along with their wives. Musicians were on the stage, prepping their instruments. Scanning the crowd, he couldn't find Christine anywhere again. _Where is she?_ Unable to get his answer, he could only sit with the other warriors and wait for whatever Christine had planned. Once everyone was here, Meg walked on the stage.

"Hello everyone. We are here to welcome back Erik and MacGregor, they returned safe and sound to us." After the clapping ceased, Meg continued. "In honor of their arrival, Lady Christine and I have decided arrange a little performance for all of you. So I encourage you to sit back and enjoy." As she got off the stage, everyone clapped. Once quiet, a group of people went on stage in front of the musicians. They started singing something as Christine came up onstage. The music started and Christine began singing.

 _"_ _Bless my soul_

 _Erik was on a roll_

 _Person of the week in every Scot opinion poll..."_

She began singing, singing about him. What amazed Erik was her voice. He had no idea she could sing at all.

 _"_ _What a pro_

 _Erik could stop a show_

 _Point him at an enemy and you're talking SRO_

 _He was a no one_

 _A zero, zero_

 _Now he's a honcho_

 _He's a hero_

 _Here was a kid with his act down pat_

 _From zero to hero…"_

He couldn't get over her voice and the fact she was singing about him. Everyone was enjoying the performance so far and getting into the music.

 _"_ _When he smiled_

 _The girls went wild and 'ooh's' and "ahhs"_

 _And they slapped his face on every vase_

 _(on every vase)"_

People started clapping along with the music. Erik couldn't help but smile at this performance.

 _"_ _Say amen_

 _There he goes again_

 _Sweet and undefeated_

 _And an awesome 10 for 10_

 _Folks line up_

 _Just to watch him flex…"_

Christine tried to copy Erik flexing, making he smile more at her attempted.

 _"_ _An this perfect package packed a pair of pretty pecs_

 _Erik, he comes he sees, he conquers_

 _Honey, the crowds were going bonkers_

 _He showed the moxie brains, and spunk…"_

He couldn't Christine arranged this and that he was enjoying it, everyone was. The fact she was doing this for them meant a lot to them.

 _"…_ _who put the 'glad' in 'gladiator?"_

 _"_ _Erik Boyd!"_

The crowd sang back, having gotten into the song.

 _"_ _Whose daring deeds are great theater?"_

 _"_ _Erik Boyd!"_

 _"_ _Is he bold?_

 _No one braver_

 _Is he sweet?_

 _Our favorite flavor…"_

The crowd started singing his name on repeat until Christine sang the next lines.

 _"_ _Bless my soul_

 _Erik was on a roll_

 _Undefeated_

 _Riding high_

 _And the nicest guy_

 _Not conceited_

 _He was a nothing_

 _A zero, zero_

 _Now he's a honcho_

 _He's our hero_

 _He hit the heights at breakneck speed_

 _From zero to hero_

 _Erik is a hero_

 _Now he's hero!"_

She held that note and held it high, impressing everyone. When the song ended, everyone rose to their feet, cheering and clapping. Smiling big, Christine bowed as people cheered her name. Looking at Erik who had a smile on his face, she watched mouthed 'Bravo' to her. Taking one last bow, she walked off the stage.

Once off stage, Christine let out a breath. She couldn't believe she sang that and in front of the whole Scottish camp. However, she knew that they enjoyed her performance, especially Erik. She had noticed the smile on his face as she sang the song.

"That was amazing!" Meg rushed over and hugged her friend. "I didn't know you could sing like that."

"I sing, just not usually in front of people. But for you guys, I made an exception."

"Well everyone loved you. You have to sing more often; you have an amazing voice."

"I will think about it. Come on, let us get the next one ready." Christine said as she went to prepare for the next song. After a few minutes, she and Meg reappeared on the stage.

"Are you enjoying yourselves?" Meg asked the crowd, getting a cheer from them. "We have one more performance for you all." She glanced at Christine who nodded slightly. Meg knew Christine arranged just for the Scots, not caring if it was against her own country. "Sit back and enjoy!" Meg turned to face Christine as a man walked on the stage. Christine glanced at the man, seeing if he was ready. Seeing that he was ready, Meg and Christine walked over to the edge of the stage.

"Down with King Daae!" Meg and Christine shouted, making a cheer come from the crowd. However, they all were surprised to hear that coming from Christine's mouth.

 _"_ _Oh the world will sing of an English king_

 _A thousand years from now_

 _And not because he passed some laws_

 _Or had that lofty brow_

 _While bonny good King Bruce leads_

 _The great crusade he's on_

 _We'll all have to slave away_

 _For that good-for-nothing Daae.."_

The man started singing as the band played behind him. A man came up and pulled Tor's wife on stage to dance as the man sang. People started clapping to the music, enjoying the song.

 _"_ _Incredible as he in inept_

 _Whenever the history books are kept_

 _They'll call him the phony king of England"_

 _"_ _A pox on the phony king of England!"_

A group sang out loud. Soon a man came on stage, dressed like he was the king of England and started dancing around clumsily. Looking out onto the crowd, Christine could see everyone laughing with a smile on their faces. Even Erik an Tor were laughing.

 _"_ _He sits alone on a giant throne_

 _Pretending he's the king_

 _A little tyke who's rather like_

 _A puppet on a string_

 _And he throws an angry tantrum_

 _If he cannot have his way…"_

Christine could help but let out a chuckle at the man's performance. Oh her father would kill her if he knew about this.

 _"_ _Too late to be known as Daae the First_

 _He's sure to be known as Daae the worse_

 _A pox on the phony king of England!"_

The music took full swing and people even started dancing. Tor's wife pulled her husband up on the stage to dance with. The warriors cheered on Chief. At one point, someone grabbed Erik to take him behind the stage for something.

 _"_ _While he taxes us to pieces_

 _And he robs us of our bread_

 _King Bruce's crown keeps slipping down_

 _Around that pointed head_

 _Ah! But while there is a merry man_

 _In Tor's wily pack_

 _We'll find a way to make him pay_

 _And steal our money back_

 _A minute before he knows we're there_

 _Ol' Erik'll snatch his underwear."_

Erik came out and on stage wearing a white nightgown. Everyone burst out laughing as Erik took a performance bow, even Christine couldn't help but laugh. Taking the nightgown off, he tossed it off stage and he walked over and grabbed Christine's hand, pulling her to the center of the stage.

"What are you doing?" She asked over the music. He didn't answer as he spun her around.

 _"_ _The breezy and uneasy king of England…"_

Erik and Christine started dancing on the stage as people cheered and clapped.

 _"_ _The sniveling groveling_

 _Measly weasely_

 _Blabbering jabbering_

 _Gibbering jabbering_

 _Blundering_

 _Wheeling dealing_

 _King Daae, that phony king of England!_

 **If you guys know Disney, you will have heard of these two songs. First one is Zero to Hero from Hercules and the second is Phony King of England from Robin Hood. Now I know theses weren't published until years later, but I thought they would be good songs for the story.**

 **Reviews are welcome : )**


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N: Hello everyone, Happy Friday. Here is the next chapter for you guys and I'm sure I won't be everyone's favorite person after it. I will try and upload the next one soon.**

 **Enjoy**

Chapter 40: A Lover's Revenge

"Brava…" His voice whispered in her ear as the performance ended. Hearing him say that made her so happy. Taking a bow, her eyes gazed out onto the applauding crowd. Before she knew it, she had people all around and Erik was no where in sight. People were praising her for her performances and her voice and everything. While all the praises were nice, there was only person she wanted to talk to and that person seemed to have disappeared.

To avoid the crowd and the questions he knew he would get, he managed to sneak away as people gathered around Christine. Though he wanted to take her with him to get a private moment with her, it would only draw more attention which he didn't need. He knew she would come after him so it would be only a matter of time before she would be able to get away. He decided to head to his tent, needing a few things and knew Christine would comes the tent. Entering the tent, he spotted his trunk and went over to it, opening it up.

"Welcome back, warrior." A voice said, a voice that wasn't the only he wanted. Turning around, he saw Rhona coming into the tent.

"Thank you." He said politely.

"How long are you back for?" She asked, stepping forward.

"I am not sure. If Bruce needs me for something…" He looked behind her to see if Christine was coming, but he couldn't see her.

"That was a nice thing she did for you." Walking past him, she sat on the edge of the bed. Turning to face her, his back was to the tent opening. "She certainly is becoming quite popular around here." He could here the dislike in her voice.

"She isn't like her father, Rhona."

"Are you defending her?" She asked him. "You who hates the English more than anything." He sighed. Yes, he did hate the English but he didn't hate her. "After everything they have done to us?"

"It's not like that, she and I have a history before us. She is the reason I'm alive and here today. I owe her my life for what she did for me."

"What is she doing to you?" Rhona asked. "You are not the man I know." She was right, he wasn't the same man she knew.

"Rhona, I-" He stepped forward but she stopped him. Standing up, she let out a sigh.

"Erik don't. I always knew someone would come into your life that you'd love. I just wished it was me." He didn't say a word, just looked at the woman in front of him. He didn't admit anything, but Rhona knew. Not turning around, he didn't see a certain woman outside the tent…but Rhona did.

Christine finally managed to get away from crowd, thanks to Meg. She practically dragged Christine away from the crowd, knowing she needed to get away. Once clear of the crowd, Christine was able to go find the person she wanted to talk to. Walking through the camp, she knew where he would be. Approaching the tent, she noticed that he wasn't alone. Coming closer, she could see Rhona talking to him and it wasn't a pleasant tent. Watching her stand up, Rhona had seen Christine standing outside the tent. Walking up to Erik, she could see her saying something to him before she leaned up. _No, don't you dare!_ But she was and Christine wasn't stopping her. She could do nothing as she watched Rhona's lips kissed Erik's. _No! God no!_ Unable to look anymore, she turned and rushed off. She didn't care to see Erik's reaction and at the point, she didn't care. She no longer cared, she was done.

 **Reviews are welcome (be nice)**


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N: Hello everyone. I managed to upload the next chapter quicker than I thought I would. It's short but they will get longer again. They maybe shorter for now but I promise will be longer soon.**

 **Hope you enjoy**

Chapter 41: A Promise Broken

The second her lips touches his, he felt nothing and knew this was wrong. His arms instantly pushed her away, wanting distance between him and her. There was nothing between them anymore and he knew that.

"Hell Rhona." He stepped back. "What was that for?" He asked her.

"One last kiss." She said as she walked passed him. Glancing out to see Christine wasn't there anymore, she knew that kiss had worked. And Erik didn't know. Hiding her victory smile, she left the tent. Watching her leave, he wondered why she had done that, why she kissed him. Wiping his mouth, he wanted to forget about it and focus on what he wanted to do and that was to talk to Christine. He would wait until she came to the tent, not realizing that she had no intention of coming to the tent anymore.

Her walk turned into a run as she distanced herself from him. She wanted to get as far away as she could from him without leaving the camp. She still had to keep her promise of staying in the camp, she had promise him. _How could he do that? After everything that had happened between them!_ Her mind was screaming as she found a log near the edge of the camp. Sitting on the log, she let the tears fall.

"I can't do this anymore…" She said to herself as the tears ran down her cheek. "He doesn't care about me…I am not what he wants…" She could ignore the pain in her chest as the realization hit. The pain was too much, it hurt too much. Her heart was ripping in two, the damage beyond repair. She needed to get away from here, away from him, away from Scotland. The longer she stayed here, the more it will hurt. She knew the English were too far away, she just needed to sneak away. Yes she promised him she would run away, he trusted her. However, that no longer mattered to her. He didn't matter to her. She would forget about him, forget about this. No matter what, she would force herself to forget about him.

Standing up, she wiped the tears from her eyes. Her eyes looked around to see no one around, this was her chance. Glancing behind her to see the camp in the distance, she had a moment of going back. She knew she wasn't just leaving him, but also the life she had started creating here. The friends she had gained, the trust and respect she had gain from the warriors. All the trust she earned would be lost. But staying would be hell for her, everything here reminded her of him and it would slowly kill her.

"Goodbye Erik…" Turning around, her legs started to move. Turning into a run, she didn't look back. She soon disappeared into the thickness of the trees and knew she was safe now. Now she had to try and figure out a way through the trees and find the English army. She didn't care of the Scottish warrior who was still waiting for her back at the camp.

 **Looks like CHrisitne left the camp, find out to see what Erik will do once he finds out.**

 **Reviews are welcome**


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N: Hello everyone, hope you all enjoy you're enjoying the weekend. Here is the next chapter, I hope you guys enjoy it. I will try and do a multiple chapters a day again today, we'll see.**

 **Enjoy**

Chapter 42: Searching for His Angel

"Meg!" His voice called as the woman pasted the tent, coming back from evening meal. She stopped to look inside the tent as Erik walked out to her. "Have you seen Christine?" He asked her, hoping she knew where Christine was. He had been waiting for her since after the performance, but Christine never showed up. It was now hours and there was no sign of her.

"I haven't seen her since the performance." Meg answered; not the answer Erik wanted. "I thought she would be with you. She wasn't at evening meal." _That is bizarre…_ Christine never missed a meal. "Maybe Tor would know where she is." She paused. "She had a talk with him before you returned about a situation."

"What situation?" Erik asked. He knew if she had spoken with Tor, it must have been serious. "Meg…"

"I don't think it's my place to tell. Christine made me promise that I would tell you, but Tor and I made her promise to tell you when you returned." Meg told him. Whatever this was, it was something that Erik now wanted to know, especially if it involved Christine.

"Where is Chief?" He asked Meg, almost demanding.

"With his wife, I believe." She answered. Without saying another word, Erik walked away. Meg watched as the warrior rushed off. Though she too wanted to know where Christine was, she knew Erik could find her.

Heading straight for Tor's tent, he didn't dare stop if someone called his name. He had a feeling something was wrong and Tor might be able to help. Arriving at the tent, he could tell Tor and his wife called it a night early. However, he didn't care. Standing outside the closed flaps, he tried to ignore the sounds coming from inside. _Lucky Scot…_ he thought to himself.

"Chief!" The sound of a groan came from his wife who wasn't happy at all.

" _What do you want, Boyd_?" She asked instead of him.

"I need to speak with Chief! It's urgent!" He answered back. Hearing movement inside the tent, he stepped. After a few minutes, Tor emerged from the tent.

"This better be important." He said as he walked passed the warrior to sit down at a table. "Alright, what is it you want?" He asked. Not sitting, Erik remained standing.

"Why did Christine come to you?" Erik asked, making Tor sigh.

"She didn't give me the full details, only that someone was violent to her."

"Violent?" Now Erik was pissed. If anyone hurtled her, they would have to answer to him. "Who was violent to her?" He demanded to know who so he punish them. _Stay calm, Phantom…_

"I don't know, she would not tell me." Tor answered. "I thought you would know who. She said she would talk to you when you returned. Hasn't she spoken to you about it?" He asked Erik.

"No…I have not seen her since the performance."

"You haven't?" Erik shook his head. "Strange…"

"Aye. Meg hasn't seen her either. We thought maybe you would have." Tor shook his head.

"No." This was strange; it's like she's disappeared or…god, he hoped it wasn't true. "Erik?" Tor noticed the look on Erik's face.

"She wouldn't…" He said out loud, more to himself than Tor. "…she promised."

"What did she promise?" He asked.

"That she wouldn't try and escape…"

"You think she ran away?" Erik slowly nodded. _Why? What prompted her to?_ He thought for a moment and he knew. _That kiss…_ god she saw that kiss in the tent. Though it meant nothing to him, to her it did. "Erik?" He turned his head in the direction of the forest. He knew she was in there somewhere.

"I have to find her." He turned to head back to his tent.

"Erik!" Tor tried to stop him, but it was hopeless. Getting up, he quickly grabbed his armor to join Erik. He sent orders out for the Warriors to do the same. Soon all the Warriors were armed and mounted on their horses. They knew she would try and find the English army. Hopefully they'd find her before that, not wanting to lose any men. Pulling his hood over his head, his eyes focused on the forest in front of him. Christine was somewhere in that forest and he would do whatever it took to get her back.

"My Christine…my Christine…lost and gone…lost and gone…"

 **So Erik is now going after Christine. Find out if he finds here...**

 **And good news, I will say this is the end of Rhona so she will no longer appear in the story. You're welcome**

 **Reviews are welcome**


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N: Hello everyone. Here is another chapter. I know they are a little shorter than normal, they will get longer very soon.**

Chapter 43: Safe for Now

After went by since they began their search and they couldn't find her. The sun was already set which brought the darkness and made it even harder now to find her. Even with Hunter, the best tracker in all of Scotland, using his skills, they had very little luck. With no rain for days, the ground was dry and hard to locate tracks or footprints. Now with night approaching, a few knew it would be impossible to find her.

"Boyd, it's getting too dark out." Viper said to Erik.

"Viper is right." Chief agreed. "Hunter is not having any luck and it's dangerous to search at night."

"She'll have to survive the night and we can start back up at dawn." Saint said. However, Erik disagreed. He knew it would be hard for her to survive the night. She always had him during their travel to camp and now she had no one, no shelter, no plaid to keep her warm.

"I am not giving up." He told them. "I don't want anything to happen to her. She doesn't know these lands like us." If anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself. He wouldn't give up until he found her and if that meant coming face to face with the English army, so be it.

She had no idea where she was; she was lost. What seemed like an okay plan at the time now wasn't looking so okay. She didn't know these forest and she couldn't remember how to get out of them. It had been awhile since she been through these woods, a few weeks actually. _Has it been that long since she's been here?_ She knew it was well over a month since she first was captured, maybe two. _Don't think about now,_ she reminded herself. She had to think of how to get out of these woods. With the sun gone, there would almost no light soon.

"I guess I have to find a place to sleep for the night now." She said to herself, Looking around, she tried to find a place that she could sleep. Nothing really looked inviting, but this was not the time to be picking. Finding a tall tree, she decided she would sleep against it's trunk. Before settling in for the night, she looked around and saw something in the distance. A small light just a little ways from her. Christine knew it was either the English or the Scots. For a moment, she thought of if she should see who it is or not. If it was the Scots, they would take her back to camp and she would face Erik's wrath which she didn't want. If it was the English, they would return her to England and then she'd be on a ship to France for her marriage to the French prince which she also didn't want. Either outcome was one she didn't want, but she had to decide. For a moment, she thought if she could really leave here and return to England. She had gotten used to living in the Scottish camp and was enjoying it, almost more than living in London. Both lives were completely different. _Make your choice, Christine…_

Going with her instincts, she followed the light. Coming closer and closer, she prayed she wouldn't regret this decision. As she came closer, she realized it was a campfire. She tried to keep quiet so not to alert any guards. Almost there, she could see a flag flying in the breeze, an English flag. _It's the English!_ Picking up her pace, she practically ran the rest of the way. Coming into view, she could see men all around the fire, all who looked when she came out of the trees.

"Who are you?" One of the soldiers asked as he approached her.

"Christine…Christine Daae." She answered, making the soldier's eyes widen.

"Your Highness?" She nodded. "Oh my god…" He couldn't believe. Other soon came up, needing to see for themselves that the princess was here. Questions started coming at her, everyone curious how she escaped and where she was and what was it like. At one point, she got overwhelmed.

"Gentlemen please. This can wait until morning. She needs rest." One soldier said, making her sigh in relief. Looking at a soldier, he gave an order to him. "Sent word to his Highness about the princess' return. No doubt, he'll want to come straight away." The man nodded and rush off. Looking back the princess, he held out his hand. "Come, I'll show you to your tent." Nodding, she took his hand and followed him to wherever the tent was. As they walk through the camp, soldiers were welcoming her back. Arriving at the tent, she noted how smaller it was than Erik's. "Here you are, your highness."

"Thank you, sir."

"If you need anything, I will have someone outside your tent. I will let you know when your father arrives." He said before bowing and exiting. Looking around the tent, she let out an exhausted sigh. She was safe now.

 **Looks like Christine made it to the English camp. Anyone wonder if Erik will give up now?**

 **Reviews are welcome**


	44. Chapter 44

**A/N: Hello everyone, Happy Wednesday. Here is the next chapter, I know a lot of you were wanting this chapter. I delayed due to taking a few days rest from a back injury (not fun). I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and I will try and upload the next one either later today or maybe tomorrow. We'll see how I feel. Anyway, enjoy**

Chapter 44: Phantom Attack

"Excuse me, your majesty?" A soldier approached the large tent.

"Come in…" The King replied as he looked down at the map of the land.

"The princess was found." His head shot up at the message. "She is with Captain Smith and his men. He sent word to let you know."

"Thank you." He said to the soldier who bowed and left the tent. He let out a huge sigh of relief, knowing his daughter was now safe. Ever since she was captured, he had spent every day trying to find her and has had no luck. It seemed like she just disappeared. There was no trace of her or any of her kidnappers. Every time he thought they were getting closer to finding her, they would slip away. Now she was back and he wasn't going to let her slip away again.

No matter how hard she tried to sleep, she couldn't. Even though she was exhausted, she couldn't sleep. It wasn't that the bed wasn't comfortable or the noise outside. There was something that was keeping her up and she couldn't figure out what it was. Laying in the bed, staring up at the ceiling, she let her mind think and of course, it went to Erik. She wondered what he was doing right now. _Probably with Rhona…_ she tried not to think about that. She couldn't get that imagine out of her mind.

"Forget about him Christine…" She told herself. "He will be only a memory now. He obviously doesn't care for and wants nothing to do with me." Sighing, she rolled onto her side. "Why can't I forget about him?" _Because you love him…_ "I can't love him…" They were from two different worlds, different lives. "God please don't make me love him…" The more she thought about it, the more she began to realize it. She was in love with him, she was completely in love with him. "I love him…" She couldn't help the tear that ran down her cheek. "…but he doesn't love me back." Wiping the tear away, she no longer denied her feelings for him but now it's too late. She would be leaving Scotland, leaving the man she loves and a life she could have had.

"I swear Phantom, if you get us killed because we run into the English, I will personally kill you myself." Hawk said as he almost walked into a tree. It was complete darkness outside, the moon was hiding behind the clouds, giving them no light to use.

"Get in line…" He commented, looking around.

"Phantoms…" Tor said, getting all of their attentions. Looking in his direction, they could see what he was getting to. There was a small light in the distance and that could only mean one thing: the English.

"Do you think she is there?" Arrow asked.

"I wouldn't doubt it." Erik answered.

"Striker, Viper, scout it out." Tor ordered. The two knew not to argue, they quietly made their way to the light. It wasn't as easy as it looked. Without any light, they had to try and not trip over rocks, branches and keep quiet. As they got closer to the light, they realized it was a campfire. Using the trees to hide behind, they could see the English camp.

"Do you think she is here?" Striker quietly asked. Viper shrugged.

"I don't kno-wait." He pointed to a tent that they could see the flaps opening. Their question was answered when they saw Christine coming out. "Let's inform Chief." Agreeing, the two rushed back to the where the group was still waiting.

"Well?" Tor asked, knowing the two were back though he couldn't really seen them.

"She is there." Viper answered. "It's a small unit, a size that we can handle." He hinted to Chief about the possibility of attacking.

"I did not give any order of attack." Chief clarified. He knew they could handle it, but he had no intention of attacking. "We do not know how close the next unit is from here. We are far from any reinforcements."

"We won't need any reinforcements." Erik said. "We know these lands, the English don't. We maybe far from our reinforcements, but we can use this to our advantage. They won't dare venture deeper into this forest. Let's show them what happens when you mess with the Phantoms." That got all of them to agree, even Chief. Erik had a point and they could win this. Agreeing, Tor let Erik take command of this attack.

Having no victory of getting any sleep, Christine gave up and decided to venture out of the tent. The light from the campfires helped guide her through the campsite. Walking over to a group of soldiers, she couldn't help but wonder if they were alone in these woods. She wondered if anyone noticed that she was gone… _probably not._

"Your Highness." A soldier stood up when they saw her approaching them.

"Oh no, please…" She shook her head. "…don't let me interrupt." The soldier nodded and sat down. "Had there been anything from my father?" She asked.

"Yes, he will be here very shorty." He answered. Nodding, she somehow sensed something that wasn't right. Looking around, she couldn't see anything in the darkness, but there was something not right in the air. Without warning, an arrow flew passed them to enter a soldier's chest. Letting out a scream, she realized what was happening now. They found her… _this won't be good._ The whole camp was now on alert.

"Your Highness, we need to get you away from here." A soldier said to her. Before she could reply, another arrow came flying through the air. Soldiers grabbed their weapons, preparing themselves. However, they couldn't see anything. A group seemed to surround Christine as if to protect her. They all waited, waiting for the attack. Trying to keep quiet, they tried to hear for any movement. Suddenly, they heard a Scottish yell and the attack truly began. Using the darkness to their advantage, the Scotts were able to surprise attack the English. Unable to see, they wouldn't know when a Scot was in front of them.

"The Phantoms are attacking!" A soldier shouted. Christine turned in the direction of the voice. Using the fire as light, she could see a soldier with a sword going through his body.

"Oh my god!" She tried to look away, but they were being attacked from all sides. _I need to get out here!_ But how? Looking around, she tried to find an opening that she could run through. If her father was on his way, he could be very close. However, she didn't want to be in the middle of this attack. Looking around, her ears picked up the sound of Gaelic and voices she recognized.

"Phantom!" She picked up the sound of Tor's voice. "Coimhead agad air ais! (watch your back!)" Turning in the sound of the voice shouting over the chaos, she could see a man in a cloak, the hood over his face but his height was noticeable. _It's him!_ There were about four English soldiers against him, but he seemed to have no problem fighting them. However, she noticed a soldier sneaking behind him. _Christine, do not even thi-_ too late, her legs were already running. Her attempted action wasn't unnoticed as she ran passed Hawk and Hunter.

"Gu bheil i? (Is that her?" Hawk asked Hunter who nodded.

"Aye." He replied. "Dè tha i a 'dèanamh? (What is she doing?)" He asked, making Hawk shrug his shoulders. Unable to watch anymore, they continued to fight off the English soldiers. Christine ran towards where Erik was fighting, hoping she wouldn't be too late.

"Erik!" She shouted out, hoping he would hear. Hearing his name being called out, he quickly glanced in her direction. "Behind you!" She shouted. Turning his head, he saw the soldier just before he attacked. Moving with cheetah like speed, he managed to defend himself. Pushing her way between the two English soldiers, she put herself at his back to prevent the soldiers from attack. Turning back around, he didn't expect her to be right there, her arms now around his waist. He realized what she was doing now and it surprised everyone.

"Retreat!" They heard someone shouting the command and soon, the soldiers started retreating.

"We have to go now." Christine said as she grabbed Erik's hand. "My father will be here soon and I don't any of you killed." Without saying a word, he let her lead him away. The others followed them as they left the now destroyed campsite and disappeared into the darkness.

Arriving to the campsite, Gustave looked around at what remained of it. He had heard the fighting and rushed over as fast as he could. However, he was too late and Christine was gone.

"What happened here?" He asked the captain.

"The Phantoms attacked us." He answered.

"Where is my daughter?" The captain hesitated before answering.

"S-She left with them…with the Phantom."

 **Looks like CHristine is starting to side with the Scots now. Erik has her back now, any predictions on what will happen next?**

 **Warning/hint: next chapter is rated M for...sexual content. Be prepared**

 **Reviews are welcome**


	45. Chapter 45

**A/N: Hello everyone. I finally uploaded this chapter. I am sorry for the long wait on this one, I know a lot of you guys have been waiting for it and here it is. I'm keeping this short so enjoy:**

 **Remember, this is Rated M!**

Chapter 45: "My Angel"

Christine knew she basically committed treason and the English weren't probably happy with her right now. However, she couldn't go back now and I'm sure they wouldn't let her go now. She dreaded returning to the campsite and facing the wrath of Erik or any of them. Knowing she broke his promise, she hoped her recent actions would help her.

"Phantom, a 'gabhail Christine. Air ais aig a 'champa, tha mi ag iarraidh facal maille ribh. (Phantom, take Christine. Back at camp, I want a word with you)" Tor ordered, the tone of his voice serious and not warming. Glancing up at him, she tried to see his face, but the hood and his mask were covering it. Only his eyes were visible.

"Will you be in trouble?" She asked softly as the others headed back to make sure they weren't being followed.

"I'm sure I will be." He answered, coldly. "Come on…" Still holding her hand, he led her away from the others. Only nodding, she obeyed and followed him. The darkness made it not easy to see where she was walking. At one point, she tripped over a rock and hit her head off a branch. As much as she wanted to stop and wait until morning to go back, she knew he wouldn't stop. She would just have to suck it up until they reached the camp.

When they reached camp, most of the people were already asleep. A few people were up and the guards. She was glad when they reached the camp, however she was also nervous. She knew Erik must be furious with her and the others too must not like her at the moment. Hopefully, she would be allowed to explain herself this time. Entering the tent, Erik let go of her hand as he walked over to his bed, standing at the trunk. His back was still to her as she closed the flaps to give them privacy. Standing awkwardly in the middle of the tent, she waited for Erik to say something. After several minutes, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Erik…" Walking up to him, her hand gently rested on his shoulder. "Please say something." Turning around, her eyes widen as she noticed blood on his face, mainly right under his mask. Though only a few candles were lighted, it still gave her enough light to see. Looking closer, she noticed a large crack on his mask. "Erik…your mask…" Slowly reaching up, her hand was stopped by his. "Please, let me help you." She pleaded, but his expressed never changed. "I won't hurt you…trust me."

"Trust you?" He repeated, his voice enraged. "Why should I trust you?" He asked, his grip on her hand tightening. "You promised me you won't leave the camp!" His voice rose; she hoped no one would awaken from his voice. For the first time in a while, Christine was terrified of him.

"I didn't want to leave! But the thought of you kissing her and making love to her…" She shook her head, shaking that thought out of her mind.

"What are you talking about?" He asked her.

"I saw her kiss you, Erik. I saw it with my own two eyes."

"Yes, you saw her kiss me. But did you see me push her away?" He asked her. She was speechless for a second. _He pushed her away?_

"Y-You pushed her away?" He nodded.

"Aye, I did." He stepped closer to her. "She is not who I want." His voice was soft now as his hands cupped her face gently. Looking up at him, she noticed his eyes have softened as well. "The woman I want…I can't have."

"What is holding you back?" She asked him.

"We come from different worlds, Christine." He was right. He couldn't live in England with her nor could she live in Scotland in with him.

"What if…" She gained the courage to say it. "…for the time we have left together…" He waited, but knew what she was going to say. "…we forget about the worlds we come from…"

"And create our own." She nodded slightly. Oh how he wanted that, but he knew it would kill him to let her go. It was the reason he tried staying away from her, distancing himself from her. However, it only made him want her even more. It made him realize that he's always wanted her. From the first glance at the prison, it had always been her. And if this is the last time he would see her ever, he would get a taste of what a life with her would be like.

Not wasting any more time, his lips claimed hers. Her soft lips welcomed his kiss; kissing him back with the same passion and desire. But there was more to this kiss. He seemed to be pouring every emotion he had into that kiss, emotions he didn't realize he had. But he didn't care. Every time he kissed her, it seemed nothing else matter. And he wasn't the only one that felt it; she felt it too. Whimpering softly against his mouth, her body moved closer to his. Though their bodies were already against each other, they wanted more…needed more. And there was only way to get closer and the image of her naked body under his set his blood racing. Though he wanted her so bodily, he couldn't rush it. He knew of her innocence and wanted to make it special for her. However, his want for her was making it difficult for him not to just rip her clothes off and take her right on the ground.

"Erik…" Her soft voice whispered between the kisses, her soft plea that nearly made him lose control. "Please…" Taking his hands with hers, she guided him to the ties of her dress. His fingers brushing along the skin of her breasts before reaching the ties. _God, this woman is killing me…_ With shaky hands, he managed to loosen the ties. _Steady, Erik…_ With the fabric of her dress now loose, he pushed the dress down her body. The dress eventually fell to the ground, pooling around her feet, leaving her only in her chemise while he remained fully dressed. His lips moved from hers to her neck as she arched her neck, letting out a soft moan as she felt his hand cup her breast. His other hand resting on her lower back, pulling her body against his, his very hard and hot body. Her hands grabbed the fabric of his shirt, tugging at it. Once free from being tucked in, it soon joined Christine's dress on the floor. Their lips met once again, more passionate this time as his tongue stroked hers. Sliding his hands behind her thighs, he lifted her up and carried her to his bed. Laying her gently on the bed, their lips never parted as his body moved to hover over hers. He made sure not to crush her with his weight, just enough pressure to drive her crazy. Breaking the kiss, his lips started a trail from her neck down until coming to her breasts. Taking the nipple in his mouth, he heard her cry of pleasure. Her back arching, pushing her breast more into his mouth. As his mouth ravished her breasts, his hand slid between her legs to stroke her wet lips. She couldn't help the pleasurable gasp that left her mouth as she felt his fingers between her legs.

"I need to taste you…" _Taste me?_ She didn't know what he meant. Before she could ask, his mouth left her breasts as his hands pushed up her chemise until it hit her waist. Shifting down on the bed, he parted her legs more, just enough for him to fit.

"E-Erik…what are yo-ah!" Her sentence was cut off as she felt his mouth…there. Her body practically dissolved from the feeling of his lips and tongue between her legs, sending her body to new heights of sensation. Gripping the blanket under her, she let her body surrender to the feeling. She felt her whole body tremble, her legs shaking as they sat on his shoulders. "Ah Erik!" She cried out as she came. Now she was ready.

Letting her recover, he quickly made work of his clothes. Looking up with hooded eyes, she watched him undress, admiring his body. When the last of his clothes were laying on the floor, Christine couldn't help where her eyes ventured to. Her flushed cheeks seemed to blush even more. Joining her back on the bed, his hands took the chemise to push it over her head and off of her. Laying over her, their skins touch, sending a feeling through their bodies that they couldn't describe. Her legs instantly parted more, allowing him to settle between them. Feeling the tip of his hard length at her lips, she couldn't help the nervous look in her eyes. And Erik didn't miss it.

"Are you sure?" He asked her, giving her one last chance. His whole body seemed to freeze, waiting for her reply. Locking her eyes with his, the next few words made his heart soar.

"Dèan ghaol dhomh (make love to me)" She replied softly, resting a hand over his heart. That was all he needed as his hips slowly pushed forward. He could feel her open for him, feel how tight her was. His arms were shaking, using every ounce of control not to just thrust in to her. Stopping only once, he noticed the fear in her eyes. Leaning down, his lips softly kissed hers her. Her body seemed to relax slightly as his kiss as he sank into her. With one last movement, she was his.

"Mhèinn (mine)" And she was his. She cried out as the pain hit her, her hand gripping his arm. The pained look on her face made his heart ache. "I'm sorry, mo àlainn" He wanted to take the pain away, but he knew it would soon go away.

"I-It hurts…" She whimpered. Leaning in, he softly whispered sweet words to her. He could her body relax under him, allowing him to move. He forced himself to go slow at first, trying to ignore how good she felt or good their bodies felt together. Soon her hips moved to meet his, slightly encouraging him. Not once did his eyes leave hers as his thrusts quickened. Her hips lifted to meet each one of his thrusts, pushing him more. The once gentle slow pace turned harder, deeper, quicker. A soft gasp left her mouth each time their bodies become one. Feeling her walls tighten around him, he knew she was close. Lengthening his thrusts, he stilled as she came crashing down, her cries filling the tent. "I love you!" The words slipped out of her mouth before she could stop them as she rode her release. Erik's eyes widen as his mind replayed the words she just spoke, well screamed. Her words seemed to let him lose control. With one last hard thrusts, he sank deep into her as his body came. Grinding his teeth, he forced the moan to stay in his mouth. His arms gave out as he crashed onto her, however she didn't mind. The tent now filled with their heavy pants as their bodies remained tangled. Lifting himself slightly, his head rested against hers.

"Mo aingeal…"


	46. Chapter 46

**A/N: Hello everyone, Happy Monday. I am sorry about the wait for the chapter, work is keeping me busy. Good news is I'll be on vacation soon which means more time to upload chapters. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and I hopefully will be uploading another one soon.**

Chapter 46: A Phantom's Secret

 _Love? Did she say she loves him?_ Aye, she did and those words kept playing over and over in his head. The sound of her voice screaming those words, like announcing to the world that she loves him. He had never heard those words spoken to him before, at least not from a non-relative. Now laying in the bed, his head turned to glance down at the woman lying next to him. Her nude body laid against him, her arm laying over his chest. Using his chest as a pillow, she could hear his heartbeat. _Beautiful…beautiful angel…_ he thought as his finger pushed a strand off of her face. Erik knew he should have regretted everything, but he didn't. He didn't regret their first kiss, the first time he made her cum, their first dance, the first time he made love to her…he regretted none of that. Hell, he didn't care if she was English anymore. That no long mattered to him, all that mattered to him was her. He didn't even care about the war anymore. _God, what is happening to me?_

By sunrise, Erik was already awake. He didn't sleep much through the night, his thoughts preventing him for getting any sleep unlike the sleeping beauty next to him. Her hair spread all over the pillow; the blanket stopping around her waist, giving him a view of her breasts as they rise and fall with each breath. Her lips tempting him for a kiss, however he wanted to let her rest. Leaning down, he placed a soft kiss on her cheek, whispering something in Gaelic to her. Quietly and slowly, he slipped out of the bed. Trying to be careful not to wake her, he dressed before slipping out of the tent.

"Ah there is the sleeping beauty." He heard MacGregor's voice, making him roll his eyes.

"Sod off."

"Chief wants to speak to you."

"I'm sure he does." Sighing, he headed towards Tor's tent. Walking to his tent, he prepared himself for whatever Tor was going to say to him. He knew he would be getting a yelling and who knows what the punishment would be, especially if Tor finds out what he did last night. He knew no one would approve of this, but he couldn't take it back and he wouldn't take it back.

 _My angel…_ her heart soared when he called her that again. She was his angel again and she knew that she would always would be his angel; that nothing would change that. And that thought kept a smile on her face all night…and the memory of his touch. The image of their bodies tangled together causes the aching feeling to return. Turning over, she expected to feel him still there. However, she felt nothing but the empty space where he laid. Fluttering her eyes opened, she realizes that she was alone. Looking around the room, she noticed that he wasn't there. _Perhaps he went to morning meal…or speak with Tor._ She remember the tone of his voice last night and for a moment, feared for Erik. Deciding it was one of those two, she grabbed the sheets to wrap around her naked body before climbing out of bed. Winching at the soreness she now felt, she tried not to move as much. She didn't realize she would be sore after a night of love making, however she didn't mind. Seeing her chemise on the floor, she grabbed it and put it on her. She quickly made the bed so no one would see the evidence of what they did last night. Hearing her stomach growl, food was calling her. Walking around the bed to the trunk, she remembered a few plaids in there that she could use to wear.

"Let us see what he has…" She said to herself as she opened the trunk. Right away, she saw the plaids. Grabbing two with colors that she liked, she set them down to close the trunk. Just before closing it, she noticed something. Something buried deep into the trunk.

Reaching in to move a few things, she noticed it was a shield with a lion on it. _That is strange…_ Underneath the shield was an armor, black as night. Holding up the heavy black helm, she noticed how it mostly covered it's owner's face. Running her fingers along the cold metal, she could tell it was used a lot. _Why would Erik have this?_ Letting her curiosity get the better of her, she continued to look through the trunk. Under the armor were some masks, black masks. Searching more, she found a sword. Holding the weapon, her eyes noticed some words carved into the sword. Looking closer, she could make out the words 'Bàs roimh Gèil'.

"Death before surrender…" She had heard that phrase many times…it was the Highland Phantoms' motto. "Why would Erik have this sword?" She asked herself as her mind started to recall certain things. Slowly, she was putting the pieces together. _Their nicknames…their fighting skills…the way they keep things private…_ "Could Erik be a-a…?" She couldn't finish the sentence, almost not wanting to believe it. She didn't want to believe that the man she loves is part of the famous group of warriors that are feared throughout all of Scotland and England. However, all signs were pointing to that conclusion. There was only one way to find out…ask him. Though she knew he might not tell her, she had to try.

Flipping the sword over to put it back, she noticed a piece of paper at the bottom of the trunk. Reaching in and grabbing it, she opened it. Though it was in Gaelic, she recognized two names: Erik 'Phantom' Boyd…and King Bruce. That was the proof she needed; Erik was part of Bruce's Phantoms.

"Oh god…" She was in love with a Phantom.

"Christine?" The sound of her name being call made her jump, dropping the sword on her lap. Turning to face the voice, she spotted Erik at the tent entrance.

"Is it true?" She asked. He could hear the fear in her voice. Slowly she rose to her feet, still holding his sword. Glancing to the pile of things around her feet, he knew she now knew. "Are you a-a…?" _Please God, don't let it be true…_

"Yes, it's true."

"Oh god…" Putting her hands to her mouth, she slowly backed away from him. He was a Phantom, a high ranking Phantom too from what she remembered by the dance they shared days ago. "I can't believe this…" She started pacing the tent while Erik remained where he was. "It all makes sense now." He didn't know if she was talking to herself or to him or both. "The way you guys fight…" She remembered their attack on the English camp as well as his attack on the English castle. She stopped and looked at him, practically his mask. "Is that why you wear a mask?" He stilled at the question about his mask. That was a question he always hated getting asked. His mask was personal, too personal.

"No…" He answered dryly and Christine knew she was crossing a line, but she didn't care. She wanted to know more about him, more about the man she loved and gave everything to.

"Why do you wear it then?" She asked him. "If it's not part of being a Phantom, why then?" He was quiet for a moment, debating whether or not she could know the real reason. It was something he rarely talked about, especially with a lass. However something inside him made him want to tell her, let her know secrets that not many people knew and this was one of them. After all, she already knew he was a Phantom.

"This mask…I wear it because I have to. It's not for hiding my identity but for hiding something else."

"What else could you possibly hide?" She asked. Sighing, he walked up to her until he was standing in front of her.

"Scars…memories of what your father did to me." He answered. Narrowing her eyes, she tried to figure out what he meant. Reaching up, her hand gently held the edge of mask as she pulled it off of his face. His whole body froze as he felt the mask slowly removed from his face; waiting for her reaction. He kept his eyes closed, too afraid to see her reaction. When he heard her gasp, his heart ripped.

Her hands flew to her mouth as she backed away from him, dropping the mask to the floor. His eyes opened to see the horror in her eyes. Seeing her like this was killing him.

"Oh my god…" She distanced herself from him, basically standing at the other end of the tent. Defeated and hurt, he bend down and picked up his mask. Unable to speak, he placed the mask on before leaving the tent. Just before leaving, he glanced one last time at her. The shock and horror still on her face, making him look away and leave. Now left alone in the tent, she fell to the floor. "God that face…" She placed a hand over her cheek. "So distorted, deformed…" _How did he get that face?_ She remembered him saying that his face was a result of what her father did to him. _What did my father do?_

As he practically ran from the tent, his mind was trying to forget about her face as she saw his face. But that image couldn't be erased no matter how much he tried. He was trying to ignore the pain in his heart. He wanted her to accept his secrets, he didn't know why but he did. Her rejection was more painful than any battle wound he had ever receive. _What is happening to me?_ He knew he cared for her, but this was different. He felt something different for Christine than any other woman, but he didn't know what. _Could it be love?_ Shaking his head, he pushed that out of his mind. He couldn't love her, he shouldn't love her. Their worlds were different; their story had no happy ending.

"I can't love her…I can't love her…"

"Who can't you love?" He jumped when he saw Meg. "Erik, what's wrong?" She knew something was wrong. "Is Christine alright?"

"She knows." Meg's eyes widen. "She knows everything…" His voice choked. Not wanting to speak anymore, he continued his walk to…anyway really. He just needed to be alone and away from her. He needed to try and forget her. Forget how wonderful she felt in his arms, the feeling of her skin against his, the way she said his name…the fact that she loves him. He shook his head; she wouldn't love him anymore. And for some reason, that tore his heart in two.

All day he had stayed hidden and by himself in a tent or in the woods. He wanted to be alone and away from everyone, especially her. He didn't dare go back to his tent now, afraid she would be there. Now nightfall had come and he was laying in the small tent, alone with only his thoughts. His mask was on the small table next to the bed while the covers shielded his body from the waist down. He tried sleeping but no sleep was coming to him. After one night with Christine in his arms, he would never sleep as good as he did last night. Turning onto his side, he tried to not think of her. Closing his eyes, he tried again to sleep. His ears picked up the sound of the tent flap opening. Turning to see who was coming in, he was surprised to see Christine coming in. He noticed she was only wearing her chemise and a plaid around her.

"Christine?" He sat up. "What are you doing here?" He asked her as she walked over to him, sitting on the edge of the bed. Looking at him, her eyes could see the deformity of his face.

"Tell me…" He frowned. "Tell me how this happened to you." She said more clearly. His body stiffened, but he knew she should know.

"It was after you helped me escape, a few years afterwards. Your father sent a message that he wanted a meeting with me and Tor to discuss the war. We were hesitant but Bruce insisted that we go. We agreed and went to the village that he said to come to, promising us immunity and no capture. When we got there, we were ambushed. The men who were with us were killed. There were too many for us to handle and…" He paused as he recalled everything. "At one point, we were knocked out. When I woke, we were in some small house. The smell of smoke was everywhere, they were burning the house with us inside." Her hand covered her mouth, horrified by this. _How could my countrymen do this?_ "We managed to to escape before the house was engulfed, but…"

"You were burned." He nodded.

"A beam fell and the flames hit my face. I already had deep cuts on my cheek from the attack."

"How did you survive?" She asked him.

"I'm not sure, but I did." She nodded. "Now you know everything." She nodded again. Reaching up, her hand softly rested against his scarred cheek. He tensed slightly but soon relaxed in her hand.

"I am sorry this happened to you." Her voice was soft and full of sadness. "You didn't deserve this."

"It's in the past, Christine. I cannot do anything about it, only move and focus on the future." Nodding, her hand dropped from his cheek. "Do you hate me now?"

"I could never hate you." She replied, making his heart soar. "You have my heart, Erik." Smiling, he lean in and softly kisses her lips. Her lips responded to his as she shifted so she was straddling him. Their bodies soon become one again as Erik made love to the woman that loved him…and who he loved too, but would he admit it before it's too late?

 **Will Erik be too late to tell Christine before she leaves? Find out soon...**

 **Reviews are welcome**


	47. Chapter 47

**A/N: Hello everyone, I hope you all are enjoying your weekend. Here is another chapter, I hope you guys enjoy it. I'm sorry if it's a little bleh. I'll try and upload another chapter soon. Enjoy the chapter**

Chapter 47: Phantom Training

 _The feeling of his lips traveling down her body, placing kisses along her skin seemed so real. The scruff from his grown beard ticked her stomach as he moved further down her body. His hand parted her legs, just enough for his…_ This wasn't a dream. The second his lips met her clit, her body awoken. Though her eyes remained closed, her body responded to him. Her legs parted more as he lifted them up onto his shoulders. Her back arching, pushing her breasts up as the cool Scottish air caused her nipples to harden, as well as the arousal. Moaning as her hand grip the sheets, she tried not to be too loud to draw attention.

"A-Ah…" She squirmed slightly. His hands gripped her hips, holding her in place. No matter how many times she squirmed, he kept her in place. If this was his way of waking her up, she'd gladly take this method. "Ah!"

"Erik!" They heard someone knocking on the wooden block outside the tent. Christine quickly covered her mouth to help quiet her moans. "Erik! I know ye are up!" The voice shouted outside.

"E-Erik…" She managed to say his name before a moan came out. She felt her muscles tense as her release was fast approaching.

"Come on Erik! I know you are up! Get ye Scottish arse out here!" The man kept yelling. However, Erik wasn't listening.

"Erik ah!" She practically shouted out as her release come. She didn't care if the man outside heard. Pulling away, his lips curved up into a smile as he crawled forward and kissed her lips. Though exhausted from her orgasm, her lips returned his kiss.

"Morning…" He said before pulling away and turning his attention to the tent flaps. "I'll be out in five minutes!" He shouted.

"Going somewhere?" Christine managed to ask as she recovered. Nodding, he got off the bed and started grabbing clothes.

"Aye, training."

"Does the strongest man in Scotland need training?" She asked, sitting up and grabbing the blanket to cover herself.

"Tor has us train so we can improve on things and don't get rusty on things." She nodded as she watched him dress.

"Will I see you at midday meal?"

"If Tor lets us finish by then." He answered as he finished. Walking back over, he leaned down to kiss her lips softly. Whispering something in Gaelic, she watched him leave the tent. Once he was gone, she decided she would dress too. She knew Meg would be somewhere since her husband would be training and she hadn't really seen her friend in two days. She had to tell Meg everything that has happened.

Reaching the area where Tor plans the training, Erik yawned as he walking over to where the swords where. A few others had already started their training while some were still missing. Grabbing a wooden sword, he tried to fight from yawning.

"Wake up, Phantom." Tor said as he walked behind him. Though Tor didn't approve this relationship, he didn't forbid it. "Train with Striker." Erik knew this was a punishment for bedding Christine. Everyone knew that Erik and Striker rarely got along; in fact, Erik almost took off Striker's head. However, Erik only nodded and walked over to where Striker was waiting for him.

"Look who finally showed up."

"Sod off, Striker." Erik said as he rolled his shoulders, warming them up. "Let's do this." He said right before attacking. Striker blocked his attacks until missing one and Erik hit him in the side with the sword.

"Ow! Easy on the hit." Striker rubbed his side.

"Then block it." He said before attacking again. Striker managed to block his attacks this time. Now they switched and Striker tried to attack Erik. However, Erik blocked every attack Striker threw at him and managed a sneak attack on Striker. Feeling much better, he continued with the training.

After midday meal, Christine decided to take water out to the warriors who were still training. Meg helped get the water for her and also carry some out with Christine. Walking to the field where they trained, Christine continued to answer all of Meg's questions and Meg had a lot of them.

"Meg, how many questions do you still have?" She asked her friend. She basically told Meg everything and yet, she still had questions.

"Only a few more." Meg answered. "But I will stop for now and give you a break. I'll just annoy Erik with all my questions." Chuckling, Christine just shook her head. "Ah there are the men." Meg pointed to where the men were training. Looking out, Christine's eyes locked onto Erik and his shirtless body. Those muscles, she recalled having that body against hers and her cheeks blushed. Meg noticed the blush and smirked, having an idea of what Christine is thinking.

"Looks like we have an audience." Saint announced as he walked over to greet his wife. The other's turned their attention to the women and Erik only kept his eyes on Christine. Even a smile to his face as he walked to her, wrapping his arm around and greeting her with a kiss.

"This is a pleasant visit."

"Aw." She smiled up at him. "I thought you would be thirsty and I brought you some water." She said. Nodding, he took the water and gulped it down quickly. "I guess you really were thirsty."

"Tor has us training hard. We need to be prepared for anything." He answered.

"Well from what I saw, you guys are well prepared. A little too well prepared, I think." He chuckled.

"We have a reputation to keep." Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. "Come here…" He took her hand and placed the sword it in.

"E-Erik…what do I do?" She asked him, looking clueless at the sword in her hand. Not answering, he took the sword from Striker and faced her. "Erik…"

"Teaching you what I know." He answered as he walked around her to stand behind her. He adjusted her grip on the sword and also her stance. He taught her a few defense moves and attack moves. When she had the idea, he tested her. First, he made her try and attack him. With a skakey hand, she attempted to attack him. However, he blocked and quickly counter attacked, letting the sword slap her on the behind. Yelping out, she threw daggers at him.

"What was that for?" She asked him.

"You didn't block." He answered. The others stopped their training to watch them. "Always keep your guard up, make sure you keep your eyes on the sword. Watch its movement and also my upper body." He taught her. "You can almost predict my move."

"How am I supposed to keep an eye on the sword, your upper body and my surroundings?" She asked him. "I don't have three eyes."

"Practice." She rolled her eyes. "Roll your eyes at me one more time and you will regret it." Raising an eyebrow, she decided to test him. He watched as she rolled her eyes at him again. "I warned you." He said as he stepped forward. He was unprepared for the sword coming towards his head, but managed to duck before she would hit him in the head. Hearing the cheers from the warriors, Christine blushed at the fact they had an audience. Turning her attention back to Erik, she managed to block his attack. They others watched the couple fight, noticing how quickly Christine picked up on things, especially Tor. He watched closely how Christine picked up moves that Erik taught her and he was even impressed.

"What do you think, Chief?" Hunter asked. "Do you think we may have a new Phantom?" He smirked.

"An English Phantom?"

"Gustave will certainly have our heads for this." Hunter commented. Tor agreed, knowing Gustave would hate the idea of his daughter training with the Phantoms. However, he seemed to notice how much Christine is drifting away from her English ways.

 **Do you think if Christine had a choice, would she stay with Erik and the others or return to England?**

 **Reviews are welcome : )**


	48. Chapter 48

**A/N: Hello everyone! Happy Friday! I have a new chapter for you guys. I am sorry for the wait on these chapters, I'm busy with work and classes starting in a few days. I'm mainly focusing on this for right now and finishing this one before updating A Poison Affair, Wildest Dreams and maybe White Mask. Hopefully I can get better with uploading chapters too.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

Chapter 48: A Meeting with a Phantom

Looking around, all he could see was darkness and outline of trees. He couldn't see any sign of a camp or life. As much as he wanted to head back to the camp, he had orders and knew that a king's order had to be obeyed. However, finding the Phantoms' camp was practically impossible and a part of him didn't want to find the Phantoms' camp. He just wanted to find this camp, give the message and get out of this dark woods as quickly as possible.

" _Who goes there?"_ He jumped at the sound of a dark voice. Looking around, he saw no one there.

"Who is there?" He asked into the darkness. "By order of King Daae, I demand to know who is there!"

" _Phantoms don't follow a king's order."_ The voice replied. The man's eyes widen as he realized he was in Phantom territory.

" _What business do you bring?"_ Another voice asked. Again he looked around to see who was there and again, there was no one.

"I-I have a message from King Daae…" He held up the piece of paper with the message written on it.

" _Leave it on the ground."_ The voice nodding, he quickly placed on the ground in front of his feet.

" _Get out…"_ He didn't need to be told twice. He quickly turned around and headed back to his camp, running like a phantom was after him. Once he was out of sight, Hunter appeared and walked over to the where the message was placed. "Who is it for?" Arrow asked, appearing as well. Grabbing the message, Hunter looked at the name written on it.

"It's for Erik."

"Well, he is the one who captured her." Arrow said. "Let's head back so we can give him the message."

"Where exactly is Phantom?" Hunter asked as they began their walk back to the camp.

"Most likely with Christine."

"This is the most he's spend with a woman."

"The man is in love. We were all like this when we fell in love with our wives." Arrow commented. "Let him be. Besides, he is going to have to return her to her father soon. I can understand why he would want to spend as much time with her as possible."

"Do you think he'll tell her?" Hunter asked him. Arrow thought for a moment before answering.

"I don't think so. He is not the man to express his feelings and I think he doesn't realize he is in love with. When he realizes it, I think it will be too late." Arrow answered. Hunter only nodded as they continued walking through the darkness. Soon they entered the camp and could still see people were still awake. Seeing a group of warriors sitting around a fire, they headed over to see if Erik was there.

Surprisingly, he was there and of course, Christine was sitting right next to him. Saint and Chief were also sitting there, along with their wives. Saint was telling the women a story while Tor and Erik seemed to be talking about something else. When one of them say Hunter and Arrow, they greeted the warriors.

"Evening boys." Meg greeted them.

"Evening." Arrow said back. "I hope we're not interrupting anything." He said as he approached the group. "I have a message here…for Erik." All of them were quiet as Erik stood up. Christine watched quietly as Erik took the message and read it. She wanted to see what it said, but she would be patient and wait for him to finish. When he was done reading the message, he glanced at Arrow and then to Christine, handing her the message. Taking it, she read before looking up him.

"My father wants to meet with you?" She asked him, making him nod.

"So it would seem." He answered.

"Are you going to go?" Meg asked him. His eyes glanced over to Tor who said nothing. Meg followed his gaze to look at the warrior. "Are you going to make him go?" She asked him. "Do you remember the last time he went to meet Gustave? You two were almost killed!" How could they forget about that? Erik has scars to remind him every day about what happened. "How do you know we can trust him this time?"

"Because he wouldn't risk Christine's life." Tor answered. "He'd do anything for her, to have her back."

"Including surrendering." Erik added.

"Do you think he would surrender?" Tor's wife asked.

"It's possible." He answered.

"When is it?" Saint asked.

"Two days." Erik answered. "The town is a day ride so I will leave tomorrow."

"Take Striker and Hawk with you." Tor ordered, making Erik nod. Christine remained silent as they spoke about the meeting her father wants with Erik. As much as she wanted this war to end, she knew it would mean that she would have to leave soon. She would have to leave Erik and return home to England. At this point, she was unsure if she wanted to go back.

Two days later and Erik was ready for this meeting. He, Striker and Hawk travelled all day yesterday to the town that Gustave said to meet at and spent the night there. Now the morning of the meeting and they were heading to the building that Gustave was waiting in. They had no trouble finding it since it was the only one surrounded by English soldiers. Though Striker and Hawk wanted to go instead, Tor gave them orders to stay hidden and only appear if necessary. Hiding in a building next to the other one, they watched as Erik entered the building. Entering the building, his eyes scanned the entire room. He had expected the room to be full of English soldiers, but only Gustave and some other man that Erik never saw before was standing there. Walking over to the two men, he stopped and looked at the king of England.

"I should have you hanged for kidnapping my daughter. However, her life is in your hands." Erik smirked.

"Aye, so I would choose wisely." Erik threatened.

"If you harm my daughter, I swear I will have killed right here and now." Gustave threatened.

"And what good would that do? Having me dead and your daughter still kidnapped?" Erik asked, knowing he had a point. "Your daughter's fate is determined by me and with me dead, I can tell you that you would never get her back." His voice was dark and threatening, almost making Gustave step back. "Now, you asked for a meeting and I am here. What is this meeting about?"

"What price do I have to pay for my daughter to be returned to us?" He answered, but also asked.

"England's surrender." Erik answered. "All castles captured by your men to be returned to my countrymen, as well as villages and any prisoner. Two thousand pounds."

"Two thousand pounds?" Gustave repeated. Even though he was the King of England, that was still a lot of money.

"Aye." Erik nodded his head. "That is not even a fraction of the cost to repair the damages to our homes." Gustave thought for a moment. This was a heavy price, but Christine's life was on the line. After a few minutes, he decided.

"Very well." He answered. "We have terms." He agreed to surrender and move his army out of Scotland, as well as the money. Erik nodded, shaking Gustave's hand. "How is she?" He asked. The powerful king now gone and a worried father standing in his place.

"She is well." He answered, giving Gustave some relief.

"I do not trust him." The man next to Gustave finally spoke and Erik noticed the heave French accent. _Great, a Frenchman…_ "How do we know he had not harmed or taken her?" He asked Gustave who looked at Erik.

"Who are you?" Erik asked.

"This is the prince of France." Gustave answered. Erik's eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out why the prince of France is here. "He is Christine's fiancé." Gustave told Erik. Both men noticed Erik's eyes widen as the word 'fiancé' registered in his mind. _Fiancé? Christine is engaged?_

"Fiancé?" Erik repeated.

"Oui." The prince said. "We are to be married as soon as she returned." He told Erik who was still processing the fact that Christine is engaged and she never told him. "I just want to make sure that my fiancée has had no harm come to her." Erik knew what he really meant. Gustave looked at the masked warrior, waiting for his answer.

"I would never harm or force a woman to do something they didn't want to." The prince's eyes widen, almost knowing Erik's hidden meaning.

"That is good news to hear." Gustave said as he placed a hand on the prince's back. "I will send a message when I have the money for you." He said to Erik who nodded.

"Christine will be returned to you then." Gustave nodded, a sigh of relief coming to his face. With nothing else needing to be said, Erik took his leave. On the way out, he grabbed his weapons that he had to remove before entering the building. As he walked away, his mind was racing. He couldn't over the fact that Christine is engaged and that she never said anything about. He also realized that he only had a few days left with her.


	49. Chapter 49

**A/N: Hello everyone! Happy Monday : ) I have a new chapter here and it's a long one. I hope you enjoy it and I hopefully will upload the next one soon.**

Chapter 49: One Last Night

"Christine, you need to relax. Erik should be back soon." Meg said to her friend who was anxiously looking around the Hall. It had been a few days since Erik left and she was getting nervous. "Just sit down and eat."

"Meg is right." Malcolm said, looking up at her. Sighing, she knew they were right and she sat down next to Malcolm. Though the food was in front of her, she wasn't feeling hungry. Her nerves were too much to eat.

"Aren't you hungry?" Seten asked, making Christine shake her head. "You should eat."

"I will…after Erik returns." She said, pushing her plate away. Sighing, Meg gave up on trying to get Christine to eat. Focusing on finishing her meal, she looked at her husband who was sitting next to her to talk about something. Staring at the plate, she almost didn't hear the doors to the Hall open. All heads turned to see Erik appearing with Striker and Hawk right behind him. They looked like they were running since they were breathless. His blue eyes scanned the entire Hall until he found the pair of eyes he was looking for. Locking eyes with her, he walked straight to her. As he approached, she rose from her seat. "What's wrong?" She noticed the look on his face.

"We need to talk…now." It wasn't a request. Taking her hand, he practically dragged her out of the Hall as everyone watched. Using her free hand, she picked up her skirt so she wouldn't trip over anything as he dragged to their tent. She knew something must have happened during their meeting, but what? She knew that she would find out soon.

Entering the tent, he let go of her hand as he walked towards the bed. Staying at the tent flaps, she closed them to give them privacy. His hands were in fists as he tried to control his emotions. His muscles were tense as he tried to take deep breaths.

"Erik?" She stepped forward towards him.

"Why didn't you tell me you are engaged?" He asked, making her stop in her tracks.

"H-How?" She asked him. "How do you know that?" So it was true then, she is engaged.

"Your flop of a fiancé was there."

"You met the prince of France?" Erik nodded.

"Aye I did." Rolling his eyes, Christine could tell that Erik didn't like him at all. "He tells me that you two are to marry as soon as you return." Taking a step towards her, he stood in front of her. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked her, this time not so harsh.

"This engagement isn't something I want the whole country to know. It wasn't my choice to marry him, it's my father. England and France aren't on good terms either. My father and the French king decided on this marriage." She explained as he listened. "I learned just a few days before you captured me and William. Honestly, I was glad for that. It meant postponing the wedding longer."

"That is why you wanted to come with us." She nodded.

"Part of it."

"And the other part?" He asked. Looking up at him, her eyes soft.

"To know more about the man who I couldn't forget." She answered. His face softened as his hand reached up to caress her cheek. "How long?" She asked him.

"You won't return until after the money is collected. A few days." He answered, making her nod. They had a few days left now and neither one of them wanted to waste any more time. Leaning down, his lips softly kissed hers. Returning his kiss, her arms wrapped around his neck. Lifting her up, he carried her over to the bed. Minutes later, their clothes were scattered all over the tent. Their bodies were tangled up in the sheets.

Over the next few days, Erik spent as much as time as he could with Christine. Tor let him skip some training sessions so he could be with Christine. And she enjoyed every moment she got with him. He woke her early one morning so they would watch the sunrise and also a sunset. They had gone swimming a few times in the lake, once at night with the moon giving them light. One night, he laid plaids on the ground and they slept under the stars. Though they knew these times would just be a memory soon, they would cherish these forever.

One day, a message was sent to the camp, informing them that the money had been collected and Gustave was requesting a place where they could meet to return his daughter. As much as Erik didn't want to reply to the message, he gave his word and so, responded to the king's message. Now they only had one night left, this night.

"Erik?" Looking up, he saw Christine walking up to him. He was sitting in a chair at the small desk he had in his tent. Opening his arm, she sat on his lap as his arm wrapped around her waist. "What is it?" She asked, seeing the look on his face.

"Your father collected the money." He answered, making that smile on her face turn upside down.

"How much longer now?" She asked him, almost not wanting to hear his answer.

"Tonight." He answered, making her eyes widen. Collecting herself, she nodded.

"Well…then let's not waste it." Getting off his lap, she took her hand and started walking him out of the tent.

"Christine?" He asked, wondering where she was taking him. He got his answer when he noticed everyone gathering in front of a few musicians. There was to be a performance tonight. Walking with her, they sat down with the other warriors and their wives.

"It is my last night with everyone and I want to spend it with them as well." She said, making him nod. He understood that, she had become close with everyone here at the camp. Soon a violin played as a few women appeared in front of everyone.

 _"_ _High is the moon tonight_

 _Hiding it's guiding light, high_

 _Heaven and earth do sleep, still in the dark so deep_

 _I will the darkness sweep…"_

 _"_ _I will the moon to flight, I will the heaven's bright_

 _I will the earth to light…"_

 _Open your eyes with me, see paradise with me_

 _Awake and arise with me…"_

 _"_ _I am the dawn, I'm the new day begun  
I bring you the morning, I bring you the sun  
I hold back the night and I open the skies  
I give light to the world, I give sight to your eyes_

 _From the first of all time, until time is undone  
Forever and ever and ever and ever  
And I am the dawn and the sky and the sun  
I am one with the one and I am the dawn…"_

Christine listened as the women sang the words to song, almost entranced by their voices. The song made her think of when she saw the sunrise with Erik, how it gave light to the land, the start to a new day. Finishing the song, they bowed as an applause erupted. A few more songs were sung until Tor's wife and Meg walked up.

 _"_ _Sha ta co ti oh scum ne rivna  
Sha ta co ti oh nugga tir na nog  
Sha ta co ti oh scum ne rivna  
Nug a tir na nog."_

They sang together without the music, making a few cheer as they recognized the song. As the music joined in, it was a little more upbeat than the others Christine heard.

 _"_ _Come my love our world's would part_

 _The guards will guide us across the dark_

 _Come with me and be mine my love_

 _Stay and break my heart…"_

Tor's wife sang the first part, almost dancing as she danced.

 _"_ _From the shores through the ancient mist_

 _You bear the mark of my elven kiss_

 _Clear the way, I will take you home_

 _To eternal bliss"_

She finished as Meg joined in for the chorus. As they sang the chorus, Meg rushed over to Christine, taking her arm. Pulling her up and in front of everyone, she wanted Christine to join in the song. Looking around at everyone, she realized she really didn't know the words. Luckily, during the small break between the words, Meg whispered the next lyrics to Christine.

 _"_ _Far away from the land you knew_

 _The dawn of day reaches out to you_

 _Though it feels like a fairy tale_

 _All of this is true_

 _Run with me, have a look around_

 _We build our life of a sacred ground…"_

Glancing at Erik, she saw the smile on his face.

 _"…_ _Come my love, our world's may part_

 _We'll be safe and sound"_

Joining in the chorus with them, she began to dance as well. Seeing the happiness on her face, Erik couldn't help but smile as he watched her sing and dance with her friends.

 _"_ _Time won't follow the path we came_

 _The world you left, it forgot your name_

 _Stay with me and by mine my love_

 _Spare my heart the pain"_

Meg finished off and the three of them stand the chorus one last time, dancing around as the music played on. When the song finished, everyone rose to their feet and cheered them on. Taking a bow, Christine felt a tear form in her eyes. She took her seat back next to her as more songs were song. A few times, she was pulled up to sing or dance. At one point, Erik was pulled too and he danced with her. Though he rarely danced, he danced for her. More songs were sung until the moon was high in the sky. The last song approached and Christine noticed that all the warrior's wives went up to sing.

 _"_ _Lá na mara  
Lá na mara nó rabharta  
Guth na dtonnta a leanadh  
Guth na dtonnta a leanfad ó  
Lá na mara nó lom trá  
Lá na mara nó rabharta  
Lá an ghainimh, lom trá  
Lá an ghainimh…"_

The audience started singing as the music started playing the song. Glancing at Erik, she noticed him slightly singing the words.

 _"_ _Can you feel the river run?_

 _"_ _Waves are dancing to the sun_

 _Take the tide and face the sea_

 _And find a way to follow me."_

Tor's wife started off, singing beautifully.

 _"_ _Leave the field and leave the fire  
And find the flame of your desire  
Set your heart on this far shore  
And sing your dream to me once more"_

Meg's voice sang out. The audience started singing the chorus along with them. Turning to Erik, she whispered to him.

"What are they saying?" She asked him.

 _"_ _He is my hero, my dashing darling  
He is my Caesar, dashing darling  
Rest or pleasure I did not get  
Since he went far away, my darling…" _

He sang the words in English for her. However, Christine couldn't focus on the words but more of his voice. That powerful threatening voice that he had was transformed into something she couldn't describe. It was so beautiful to hear him sing. She wondered why he didn't sing more often.

 _"_ _Now the time has come to leave  
Keep the flame and still believe  
Know that love will shine through darkness  
One bright star to light the wave…"_

Their voices sang together and looked at Christine, as if singing to her. She tried to let a tear run down her cheek, but she couldn't help it. As the drums played, Meg grabbed Erik's arm and pulled him up. Looking up at him as he stood in front of the everyone, she wondered what he was going to do. Holding out his hand to her, she took it as she rose from her seat to join him.

" _Lift your voice and raise the sail_

 _Know that love will never fail…"_

He started singing to her and only her. He didn't care about anyone who was watching them.

 _"_ _Know that I will sing to you_

 _Each night as I dream of you"_

Tears started forming in her eyes as he finished the song. Wrapping his arms around her, she welcomed his embrace. They started singing the chorus again. Meg came over and hugged her friend. It was then she realized they were performing this song for her, singing to her. She had become part of the family here, part of everyone's lives here. She had started a life here in Scotland and now, she would have to leave this life.

 _"_ _'Sé mo laoch mo ghile mear  
'Sé mo Shéasar, gile mear  
Suan gan séan ní bhfuair mé féin  
Ó chuaigh I gcéin mo ghile mear_

 _Gile mear, the wind and sun  
The sleep is over, dream is done  
To the west where fire sets  
To the gile mear, the day begun…"_


	50. Chapter 50

**A/N: Hello everyone. Good morning or good afternoon. I hope you are all having a wonderful week so far. I have another chapter for you guys and it's one that you all are dreading. And believe me, this wasn't easy for me to write, I was actually getting sad. ANyway, I hope you guys enjoy it. I will try and upload the next one soon.**

 **Enjoy the chapter**

 **WARNING: have your tissues ready, you may need them**

Chapter 50: Leaving Home

Her fingers softly traced one of the scars on his chest, remembering the story that came with it. Resting her head against his chest, she could hear his heartbeat. Letting out a sigh, she sat up and grabbed part of the blanket to cover herself. Sensing movement, his eyes opened to see her sitting up, clutching the blanket. Sitting up as well, he knew something was wrong.

"Christine?" His voiced made her turn her head to look at him.

"I couldn't sleep." She answered. Turning to face him completely, she looked down at his hand. "I don't know how I'll do it." His eyes frowned. Lifting her head, she looked at him with tear filled eyes. "How can I just leave here and go back?" She asked him, wiping a tear away.

"You have no choice." He answered. Cupping her face gently, his thumb brushed along her cheek. "If I could, I would have you stay here with me." A slight smile appeared on her face as his words. "I would never have you leave my side." Seeing her smile, he leaned in and kissed her lips softly. Returning his kiss, her hand reached up to the back of his neck, letting the blanket fall from her chest. Deepening the kiss, she felt his hands slide down to her waist. Almost lifting her up, he seemed to pull her to him until she was straddling his lap. Feeling his hard length under her, she let out a moan. Sliding his fingers between her legs, the tips of his fingers brushed along her folds. Gasping into his mouth, her hips moved slightly along his fingers. Pulling away from her wetness, her hips lifted slightly before slowly lowering onto him. A loud moan escaped her mouth as he filled her. Moving her hips, their bodies moved as one. Keeping her eyes locked with his, she felt something powerful overtaking her. He felt too but he didn't pull away. Kissing her again, the powerful feeling seemed to explode. Not only were their hearts becoming one, their souls were becoming one.

The sun rose the next morning, the rays sneaking into the tent. Shining down on the sleeping angel, she felt its warmth. Fluttering her eyes open, her head lifted slightly to glance at the sleeping Phantom next to her. The light hit his face, giving him a soft glow. Smiling at the sight, she took in the view of the man she loved. Feeling a tear form in her eye, she leaned down to place a soft kiss on his scared cheek. His eyes soon opened to look up at her, taking in the sight of her. They stared at each other for a few moments, as if taking a mental picture. The sound of movement outside the tent caused Erik to look away towards the closed flaps. Knowing the others were getting ready for the ride, he and Christine should get ready as well. Seeing the look on his face, she could only nod and climbed out of the comfortable bed. Wrapping the plaid around her naked body, she walked around the tent to dress. Getting up as well, he didn't bother using a plaid to cover himself as he grabbed his clothes to put on. With clothes on, Erik knelt in front of the trunk as he reached down inside to grab a small box. Pulling it out, he knew what was inside of it. Taking it, he closed his trunk and followed Christine out of the tent.

"Morning…" Hawk greeted them, tossing an apple at Erik. Catching it, he took a bite of the fruit before offering the rest to her. Taking the apple, she started eating as he walked with Hawk to where the horses were. Staying by the tent, she glanced around the camp.

"Don't think you will leave without saying goodbye." Hearing a voice, she turned to see Meg approaching.

"Of course not." Smiling, she rushed over to give her friend a hug. Hugging her tightly, they fought the tears that were threatening to show. Pulling away, Meg tried not to cry but was failing.

"Promise me, that you'll come back and visit us." She said to Christine. Though Christine knew it would be hard, she knew she would want to come back and visit.

"I promise I will visit." She promised. Wiping a tear away, she took a deep breath. "You have become like a sister to me."

"And you as well." Giving one last hug, a tear ran down her cheek. Pulling away, Meg could see the warriors by their horses, ready and waiting. "Goodbye, Christine."

"Goodbye, Meg." She said, wiping a tear from her eye. Stepping away, she tried to smile but the realization that she may never see her friend again hit and more tears started to run down her face. Meg too couldn't hold the tears as Christine turned around to walk to Erik. Approaching him, she wiped the tears away, trying to be strong. "I-I'm ready." She said, though she wasn't ready at all. Nodding, he helped her onto the horse. Mounting behind her, his arm wrapped around her waist. Glancing one last time at the camp, she could see everyone had gathered to see say goodbye. Motioning the horse into a walk, Christine waved one last time to the family that she had become a part of, a family that she would miss terrible.

The ride to the meeting place was long and torturous. Every minute that passed only made it harder on her. She didn't speak once during the ride, nor did he. No one spoke, they all were quiet. Leaning more back into him, she wanted to feel his body against hers as much as she could. His arm around her tighten, keeping her against him. Seeing the building come into view, she gasped as she saw the sight of the English flag. Feeling her body tense, he saw the flag as well and halted his horse.

"Tiotan ... cuiribh (A moment…please.)" He requested. Tor looked at him for a moment but approving.

"Tha beagan mhionaidean, tha sin na h-uile 's urrainn dhomh a thoirt dhuibh. (A few minutes, that's all I can give you.)" He said, motioning the others to ride ahead a little to give them privacy. Glancing behind her, she wondered why he stopped. Getting off the horse, he helped her off. Reaching into the saddle bog, he pulled out the small box.

"I know you have much finer pieces…but I wanted to give something to remind you of me." He said. She sensed he had never done this before. Opening the box, her eyes glanced down at the ring inside the box. The band looked like it was melted into the shape with a design along the center. Taking the ring out, she noticed something engraved on the inside. Though the words on Gaelic, she knew there was an important meaning.

"What does it say?" She asked him, looking up at him. Taking the ring in his hand, his eyes glanced at ring before looking at her.

"Gràdh riamh a 'bàsachadh…" He spoke softly. "It means…love never dies." He answered. "My father had it made for my mother for their wedding. He loved her so." He smirked slightly, remembering the memories of his parents. "He loved her more than anything. He told me that I would find a woman one day who I would love more than anything in this world…that she would become my world." She listened as he spoke of his parents. He paused before locking his eyes with hers. "You became my world." Her eyes started to tear up again. "From that day in the prison to now, you were always a part of my world…and you will always be my world." Tears ran down her face as he took her hand, placing the ring in her palm.

"You are my world as well." She said back, taking the ring to put on her finger. Kissing her lips one last time, his heart poured everything into that kiss. Pulling away, he could pick the sound of footprints. Turning slightly to see Tor approaching, he knew their time was up.

"We must go…" Nodding, she turned to see the Chief standing there. Walking passed him, she followed Erik to meet the others. Her eyes noticed the flags behind them and knew her father was waiting there.

This was it, this was the last time she would see any of them. These men that she grew up to fear now grew to love them as brothers. She loved these Highlanders, each one of them. And she would surely miss them all. Approaching the wall of warriors, they parted so let her father see his daughter. Seeing her father waiting a few yards away, she could see the look on his face. Smiling at him, she glanced at the men behind her. Turning around to face them, she wanted to say her goodbyes to them. Saying goodbye to all of them was harder than she imagined it would be. Each man gave her a hug, surprising the English. Gustave watched his daughter say her goodbyes, noticing the bond that she had made with them. When coming to Tor, she assumed he wouldn't say goodbye like the others.

"You are always welcome in Scotland." He said to her. Smiling at him, she bowed her head as a thank you.

"Thank you, Tor. You have been very kind to me. I shall never forget it." His mouth curled up as his arms opened wide. Taking his offer, Christine returned his hug.

"We'll miss you, lass." He said to her.

"And I will miss you." She pulled away. "All of you." She looked at the men before looking at Erik. Stepping to him, the others stepped back. Without saying a word, he pulled her into his arms, holding her tight to him. Tears started forming in her eyes again. "I love you, Erik." She whispered.

"Tha gaol agam ort ... Bidh mi gu bràth gaol agam ort. (I love you…forever I will love you)." He whispered back. Hearing those words, she knew what he said. He loved her and he will always love her. Pulling away, she wanted so badly to kiss him. However, she had an army waiting for her.

"No matter what happens, I will always love you and only you." She vowed to him. He will always have her heart. Smiling slightly, he tried to force the tear that was threatening to show away. Slowly turning around, she faced her father who was still waiting. This is it, this was the moment she was dreading.

"Goodbye, Christine." He whispered as she stepped forward. "M 'aingeal…" Hearing that name, a tear down her cheek as she slowly walked towards her father. Erik stood where he was, only able to watch the woman he loves walk away. Just reaching her father, she looked back at the line of warriors, at the masked warrior. Looking forward, she walked to her father who greeted her happily with a hug. Erik watched from where he was at the reunion. He watched Christine being lifted up onto a horse with her father sitting behind her. No words were spoken between them as the English started their long march back to England. Erik watched her leave until he could no longer see them. Once they were out of sight, the warriors started their ride back to the camp. Arriving at the camp, Erik walked passed everyone and straight to his tent. Entering his tent, his eyes looked around at the now empty tent. The pain of knowing she was gone hit. This pain that was too much for him to bear. Falling to his knees, he let out a roar. The pained roar could be heard throughout the camp. The woman he only loved was gone. There was no more of their stories, only memories…


	51. Chapter 51

**A/N: Hello everyone, Happy September. I hope you are enjoying the week. I have a new chapter up for you guys and I am sorry for the wait on this. I've been making big changes for this story which will be happening very soon. So stay tune for the big surprise.**

 **Anyway, enjoy the chapter**

Chapter 51: England

Four days; after four long days, they had crossed the border into England. Though London was still a day or two ride, Gustave was relieved that they made it back into English territory. The Scots wouldn't dare attack them now, though he still had that fear. He hadn't missed the looks his daughter and Erik were giving each other. He knew something happened during Christine's time with the Scots. However, Christine was silent since they started the long ride. It was hard to miss the sadness on her face, it had been on her face since the moment they left.

"Sir?" A man's voice brought the king's attention back. "Her highness has refused to eat again." Sighing, Gustave was beginning to worry. Not only has Christine been quiet, she also hasn't been eating much.

"Thank you." He said to the man. "Where is my daughter?" He asked him.

"By the tree there, staring into the distance." He answered. Thanking the man once again, he walked passed the man to go find his daughter. She was where the man said she would be, leaning against a tree, staring off into distance towards Scotland.

"Christine?" Hearing her father's voice, she turned to glance at him. "Is everything alright?" He asked, walking up to her.

"Y-Yes, everything is alright." She lied to him.

"Christine, I know you and I know that everything is not fine." He said to her. "You have been quiet since we left, you haven't eaten much…you are always looking back." Sighing, she knew he was right. She wasn't alright, how could she be alright? She just left the man she loved, the people she grew to love…she left home. "What is wrong, Christine?" He asked her. She looked at him, wondering if she could really tell him about what happened during her time at the camp. Could she tell him about her relationship with Erik? She knew he wouldn't approve of it which is why she decided not to tell him.

"I'm just…tired of the travelling." She lied a little. She was tired of the long hours in the saddle. Though they were only two days away from London, she wasn't happy with the next days of more riding. Knowing he won't the answer he was looking for, he dropped it. In time, he hoped that she would tell him what exactly happened during her stay with the Phantoms.

The sight of the empty bedroom brought no emotion out of her. The room she once loved now was an empty room. Looking around, she felt more alone in this large room than when she was alone in Erik's tent. Walking over to the bed, her fingers ran along the cold sheets. Closing her eyes, her mind imagined the sight of warrior laying on the bed, the fabric of the sheets barely covering him. The smile on his face that greeted her each morning…No more, no more would she get that look in the mornings or his soft kisses to wake her. Letting a tear run down her cheek, she knew she would have to let him go. Looking down at the ring on her finger, a smile appeared on her face. Though the future was uncertain, the ring represented a time that she would never forget.


	52. Chapter 52

**A/N: Good morning everyone or good afternoon. I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. To start off the week, here is another chapter for you guys. I hope you guys enjoy it and don't worry, the big surprise is coming soon.**

 **Enjoy the chapter.**

Chapter 52: Chief's Plan

 _The density of the trees hid the sunlight trying to peak through, trying to offer some light to the dark woods. Her eyes scanned around, trying to find the one person she wanted. Shouting out his name, she hoped he would appear. Feeling a gust of wind blow past her, she noticed the branches move from the wind, allowing sunlight to shine down. Following the rays, she saw a tall figure standing at the end of its ray._

" _Erik…" His name came off her lips as her legs started running towards him. His arms opened wide for her, inviting her into his embrace. She felt his strong arms warp around her body, holding her to him._

" _My Christine…" He whispered in her ear, making her smile. Pulling away, she looked up at him, seeing his masked face. Opening her mouth to say something, she suddenly felt his body lean forward as a pained look appeared on his face._

" _Erik?" His body fell forward as the arrow entered his heart. "God no! Erik!" She screamed as he fell to the ground. "Erik!"_

"No!" Her scream woke her up, making her shot up in the bed. Panting heavily, she looked frantically around the room. Her body was covered in sweat as she realized she was in her room. "Just a dream…" She told herself. "Just a horrible…too real dream." Letting out a deep breath, her body slumped back against the pillows. The sun had yet to rise over London, but the light from the dim fire still gave some light into the large room. Staring up at the ceiling, she suddenly felt sick. Sitting up in bed, she felt as if her stomach was coming. Covering her mouth with her hand, she rushed off the bed to grab the chamber pot. Making it time, she held back her hair. Finished, her hand grabbed a cloth and wiped her mouth. Sitting back against the frame of the bed, she hoped that whatever had come over her would soon leave.

Standing outside the tent flaps, she let out a big breath. Slowly opening the flaps, she leaned her in inside to look around. The tent looked like it hasn't changed much over the days. Looking around the tent, she couldn't find the person she was looking for. Sighing, her eyes pictured a sketch on the small table. Walking over to the table, she glanced down at it. It was a sketch of Erik, a sketch that Christine must have drawn. Looking at it, she couldn't help the tear that started forming in her eye. Hearing the flaps open, she quickly turned to see if Erik was coming inside. However, her hopes were gone when Tor walked in.

"I thought you would be Erik." Meg said as she put the sketch down.

"I was hoping you would be Erik too." He said, sighing as he looked around the tent. "How has he been?" He asked. Since that day, the men had rarely seen Erik. Even at meals, he wouldn't appear.

"He's…" She sighed, giving Tor his answer. "He hasn't spoken much since you guys came back."

"He needs time." Tor said before flipping the flap open to walk back out. Meg followed him out as they walked through the camp. Her eyes kept looking around to see if she could find him around the camp. However, Erik was the master as hiding and staying hidden.

All he could do was stare at the piece of paper in his hand, rereading the words on it. He couldn't believe it was true but it was, the message clearly said it was. Clenching his fist, the message crumbed in his tight grip. His head leaned back against the bark, trying to contain his anger. Though he should be angry at her, he wasn't. It wasn't her fault she was marrying the French flop.

"Erik! Erik!" He heard his name being called. Looking down, he spotted Tor on the ground below. "I know you're here!" Sighing, he carefully climbed down until reaching the last branch. Jumping down, he landed just in front of his chief, almost making him jump. "Christ Erik, he nearly landed on me."

"But I didn't." He brushed himself off of the leaves and twigs.

"Have you been hiding out here all this time?" Erik nodded.

"I'm not one for company, especially now." He said to Tor.

"I can understand that, however some of us have been worried about you. Meg has been asking about you, she has rarely seen you since we've gotten back." Tor explained. Not saying anything, Erik handed Tor the message that he had received. Raising an eyebrow, Tor took the message and read it. "Married?" He looked back up at Erik. "She was engaged?" No one knew about Christine's engagement to the French prince besides Erik. "Why didn't she tell us?" He asked Erik, giving back the message.

"Because she does not want the marriage, it was her father's choice. A form of truce between England and France. The marriage was on hold when I took her hostage, but now with Christine back…they can continue with their plans." Tor was silent for a moment and Erik could tell that he was thinking. Without saying anything, he motioned Erik to follow him as he headed back to the campsite.

Arriving at the camp with Erik right behind him, he spotted his warriors scattered around the campsite. Calling out for his warriors, he headed towards his tent as each one of the warriors made their way to Tor's tent. Once at his tent, he waited until each one of his warriors were in the tent. With all of the warriors now present, he could start.

"I thought the war was over now." Hawk said to Tor. And he was right, the war was technically over now, however Tor's plan would put that back into question.

"We held our end of the truce. And the English have returned our castles back." Hunter commented. Erik remained quiet as Tor sighed. Yes, he knew all of this.

"I know." He said, making the others now quiet. "However, things have changed now."

"What do you mean?" Striker asked.

"Has something happened to Christine?" Saint asked, looking at Erik and then back at Tor.

"According to a message, Christine is to be married to the French prince." Tor announced, causing the others to burst into questions.

"How did this happen?"

"Did you know about this before?"

"Why is she marrying the French?" Sighing, Tor knew it would be better if Erik explained.

"It's an arranged marriage." Erik explained. "Her father and the French king arranged the engagement as a truce between their countries. Christine has no say in the matter."

"She cannot do this though."

"This is unacceptable." The tent rose in chaos as Tor tried to settle his warriors.

"We have to do something." One of the men suggested.

"And we will." Tor said, making them all look at him. Erik looked at him with a confused look. Tor knew that this plan would break the truce and Bruce would be furious with them. However, they all agreed that Christine was worth it.

 **Any ideas on what Tor is planning? Find out soon...**


	53. Chapter 53

**A/N: Hello everyone, Happy Wednesday! I have a new chapter for you guys. It's shorts, but it's very important.**

 **Enjoy the chapter**

Chapter 53: A Love's Secret

"Your Highness, you sent for me?" The doctor stood at the doorway, waiting for permission to enter. Looking from her lady's maid, she looked at the doctor standing there. She had called for a doctor a little bit ago. For two weeks now she hadn't been feeling well. She would wake up early and rushing for the bed pot. Though she didn't feel completely sick, she still wanted to know why she was feeling this way.

"Yes I did, please do come in." She said, standing up while her maids stayed seated. The doctor walked towards her as the guards shut the door, giving them privacy. Setting the medical bag on a table, he looked at her. She looked behind her at the ladies. "Ladies, would you mind giving us privacy?" She asked them. As much as they wanted to stay, they bowed and walked out of the room, except for Catherine. She was Christine's head lady's maid and her closest friend here. Christine knew she could trust Catherine would keep this silent. Now alone with the doctor and Catherine, she let the doctor begin.

"May I ask what is wrong?" He asked as he grabbed a few things.

"I haven't been feeling well lately, doctor. I've been nauseous and throwing up in the mornings." She went on explaining what was wrong as the doctor listened.

"How long have you been feeling like this?" He asked as he started his examination.

"Couple of weeks." She answered. "After I returned from Scotland, I started feeling like this. I don't recall eating something strange or anything." The doctor only nodded as he continued his examination. Towards the end, he couldn't figure out what was wrong. She didn't have a fever or any signs of being sick. There was only one last option and it was a long shot, especially with her. However, he decided to give it a shot.

"May I ask you something…personal?" He asked nervously, knowing he was treading on dangerous ground.

"You may, doctor." She answered. He took a deep breath before asking.

"While you were in Scotland…did you…" He was almost too nervous to ask.

"Yes." She answered, knowing what he was asking. He looked at her, seeing the embarrassed look in her eyes. Yes, though she didn't regret what she did with Erik, there was still an embarrassment of having others find out.

"May I ask when the last time was?" He asked, preparing for his next examination.

"A couple of weeks ago." She answered. "The last night I was in Scotland with…him." She didn't say his name, not wanting to put him in danger of anything. Nodding, he quickly explained the procedure to let her know before preforming. After he finished, she waited patiently. "Well?" She asked, nervous to see what he says. _Could I be…?_

"You're with child."

 **Some were hoping CHristine would be pregnant and your hopes are right. Now how will this affect her marriage plans? Find out soon**

 **Reviews are welcome**


	54. Chapter 54

**A/N: Hello everyone! Hope everyone's week is going great and on happy news, I have a new chapter for you guys. I'm keeping this short so I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and I'll try and upload the next one sometime during the weekend.**

Chapter 54: The Royal Wedding

She was too stunned to speak. What could she say though? As much as she wanted to be happy and excited, she couldn't. She could tell anyone about this pregnancy, no one could. If word got out of this pregnancy, it could ruin many things for her. _Oh bloodily hell…_ the wedding was just two days away. In two days, she would be married to someone else while carrying Erik's child.

"Your Highness?" The doctor's voice brought her back from her thoughts.

"I'm sorry…I was just thinking." She apologized.

"It's quite alright, your Highness. I can imagine this is surprising news." Nodding, she looked down at her clothed stomach. "Might I ask…do you know who the father is?" He asked her, making her nod again.

"Yes. There was only one man that I was with." She answered. It was Erik's child she was carrying. Knowing she wouldn't tell him the name, the doctor dropped it.

"I promise I will keep this a secret, your Highness." He told her, making her smile slightly.

"Thank you, doctor."

"You are welcome." He said as he backed up his things. "I will check on you before you leave for France." He told her, making her nod. Though it was only a few days until she would leave, he still wanted to make sure she would be alright for the travel there. Watching the doctor leave, she couldn't help let her mind wonder. Catherine had remained quiet during the examination, but Christine knew she was curious to who was the father. _Oh god, how am I going to tell Erik?_

That was a problem she didn't know how she was going to solve. How was she going to inform Erik about this? He did have the right to know, it is his child that she is carrying. However, she didn't want to risk the secret coming out. No one knew of her relationship with the Phantom here, not even her father. She knew she would have to keep this a secret for the rest of her life, along with now that she was pregnant with his child. _Oh god, how am I going to explain this to the prince?_ How could she explain to her soon-to-be husband that she is pregnant with another man's child. Groaning, she heard a knock on the door. Allowing the person to come in, she saw her father enter.

"Father…" She rose and bowed.

"I was informed that you requested a doctor. Is everything alright?" He asked, worried of course. He knew she wasn't well since she returned. He already threatened to the Scots if something happen to her now, but Christine assured him that she would be alright. And she is alright…she's just pregnant.

"Yes, father. Everything is alright." She said to him. "It's just a stomach flu he said." She lied. "He told me to rest until the wedding."

"Very well." He believed her. "I can understand it is stressful with this wedding approaching."

"You could say that."

"I know you aren't fond of this wedding."

"Why are you making me marry this man then?" She asked him, making him sigh. "You told me before it was for the future of England's alliance with France…I don't want to marry him, father. I can't marry him."

"Why can't you marry him?" He asked, taking a step closer to her. She stood there, wondering if she should tell him about Erik.

"B-because I-I-"

"Excuse, your Highness?" Both heads turned to see a servant standing there. "I'm sorry if I interrupted something, but the captain of the guard needs to see you." He informed the king.

"I'll be right there." Gustave told the servant who bowed and walked away. Turning back around, he faced his daughter. "We will finish this discussion later." He said to her before leaving the room. Christine stayed in the room, letting out a breath. Her hand resting against her stomach as if cradling her unborn child.

Making his way out of the castle, he followed the servant through the city to the city gate. Coming closer, he noticed several guards standing in a spot, waiting. Approaching them, he also noticed a large hole in the wall. Kneeling down, he took a closer look at the hole. It was big enough for a person to squeeze through which worried him.

"Shall we be worried, sir?" His captain of the guard asked.

"Do you think this is the Scot's doing?" Another man asked. Standing back up, he looked at the guards.

"They wouldn't break the truce." He answered. "Double up the patrol around the city. I want every guard working the day of the wedding." He ordered, making his captain nod. Looking back at the hole, he didn't want to think that the Scots were behind this. However, he remembered the look on a particular Scot's face and he always feared that he would come after his daughter. Though he knew Erik would be crazy to attack London, it didn't mean it wasn't possible.

 _Wedding Day_

 _Today is the day, Christine…you can do this, you can do this._ She kept telling herself that, trying to convince herself. She felt sick to her stomach, mainly from the nerves and morning sickness. The doctor had checked on her earlier this morning and gave her the okay to get marry. Her father still didn't know about the baby or Erik. Christine couldn't tell him. Now she was standing in front of a mirror, watching as her maid put the veil on her head.

"You look beautiful, my lady." Her maid said. She did look beautiful, but it was tearing her heart to be wearing this dress. _Don't cry, don't cry…_ though she knew she would cry. Hearing the church bells ring, she knew that was her cue to head to the church. Turning away from the mirror, she headed for the door. Opening it, there were towards standing there, two that she had not seen before.

"Your Highness." Both of them bowed in respect. She noticed something different about them…their accents were off.

"Gentlemen." She bowed back.

"We have orders to escort you to the church, my lady." That accent, where was that from? "Are you ready, my lady?" He asked her. Taking a deep breath, she nodded.

"I'm not ready, but we can't keep the French waiting." She said. The two guards only nodded before stepping aside to let her walk. Walking next to one of them, she noticed how tall he was. The last time she was next to a tall man was in Scotland and those Scots were tall. They walked quietly towards the church. Christine noticed them glancing around a lot, as if looking for something or someone. "Are you looking for something?" She asked one of the guards. He turned his head towards her and she gasped slightly at the light green eyes with thick lashes.

"Just following the king's orders, my lady." He answered.

"Do you think we will be attacked?" She asked, a little nervous.

"You never know, my lady." He said to her. "Phantoms are known to attack anywhere." He said, making her gasp slightly again. Those eyes…the references of Phantoms…that horrible English accent…where these guards actually…Phantoms? Before she could open her mouth to say something to them, they had reached the church where her father was waiting. As her father approached them, the two guards backed up. Watching them back away, she kept looking at them.

"Christine?" Turning her face towards her father, she realized it was time. "It's time." He said, making her nod. Taking a deep breath, she let her father take her arm. Glancing behind, she looked at the two guards. A memory came back of when she said goodbye to the Phantoms back in Scotland. A tear was threatened to form in her eye, but she forced it back. Turning her attention back to the church doors. _This is it…_

The church doors opened and Christine suddenly felt overwhelmed by everything. Slowly walking down the long aisle, her eyes glanced around at all the people in the church. She recognized several people, but there were no faces in the crowd that she wanted. She wanted her Scottish family, but she knew that they wouldn't be here. Looking forward, she noticed the prince at the end of the aisle. He was nothing compared to Erik and he was going to be her husband. Swallowing hard, she tried not to think about Erik. Stopping, she glanced to her father, hoping he would stop this before it's too late.

"Who gives this woman away?" The bishop asked.

"I do." Gustave answered, glancing at his daughter. Giving her a tight hug, she tried to not to let the tears fall. "I love you, Christine."

"I love you too, father." She said back. Stepping back, he let her turn towards the French prince. Finding his seat, he took a deep breath as the bishop continued to ceremony. He couldn't stop this wedding now, not matter how much he knew Christine didn't want this. Truth was, he didn't want this either but now was too late to stop this. He could only watch his daughter be married to someone he knew she doesn't love.

She didn't look at him, not the prince or the bishop. This didn't feel like what a wedding should be. This was supposed to be a happy day, but she wasn't happy and she doubt that the prince was happy either. She just stood there as the dutiful princess and bride, but her mind and heart were elsewhere. She kept forcing the tears away, not wanting to show them.

"If there is anyone here who thinks these two shall not be joined in matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace?" The bishop asked the crowd. Hearing the silence, Christine closed her eyes as a tear ran down her cheek.

"I object."

 **Any ideas on who objects? Find out soon...**

 **Reviews are welcome : )**


	55. Chapter 55

**A/N: Hello everyone, I hope you are enjoying your week. Well here is the chapter you guys are waiting on. I'll keep this party short and let you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Enjoy : )**

Chapter 55: Make Your Choice

" _I object."_

The church filled with a unified gasp as Christine opened her eyes, recognizing that voice. Slowly turning around, her eyes locked on the man standing by the door. A hood covered his face, but his tall frame could give it away. Her mouth parted as he slowly stepped forward before her father rose from his chair.

"Who are you?" He demanded. Everyone was silent, their eyes staring at the stranger in the aisle. "I shall not ask again." Her father's tone was getting more serious. The stranger tilted his head to the side before his hands reached up to remove the hood. Christine gasped as her eyes locked with a pair of intense blue eyes…and a white mask.

"Erik…" His name came out of her mouth before she could stop it. It was him, he was here…in London. _How the bloodily hell did he get in London undetected?_ Gustave rose from his seat, more stunned than anything.

"You have no business here!" The French king barked at Erik. Glancing at the French royals, Erik only smirked before turning his attention back to Gustave and then Christine. She looked breathtaking in that dress, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Though he was still a good distance from her, he could still see the tears in her eyes.

"What brings you here?" Gustave asked more nicely than the French king. Looking away from Christine, his eyes glanced at the English king.

"I come here under the flag of peace." He answered, looking back at Christine. "And as the bishop said, anyone who thinks this couple should not be joined in matrimony, speak now…" He paused. "…and I object."

"And why do you object?" Gustave asked, though Erik's eyes never left Christine.

"Because I know this isn't what Christine wants."

"And what do you know what she wants?" The prince asked, stepping forward.

"Because I know her." A hint of a smile formed on her face. The prince was about to open his mouth, however Christine stopped him. Turning towards the bishop, she plead with him to give her a moment with her. Granting her a moment, she slowly walked towards the masked warrior.

Standing in front of him now, she had to refrain herself from wanting to embrace him. She wanted his arms around her, holding her tight and never her go. Staring into his eyes, she remembered waking to those eyes and his smile. As much as she was glad he was here, it broke her heart as well.

"Erik…" His hard eyes soften as the sound of his name. "…how did you even…?

"A Phantom has his ways." He answered softly, making her smile a little.

"You risk too much coming here."

"I would risk it all for you." Reaching up, her hand brushed along his good cheek. People gasped in shock of her action, but she didn't care. His face leaned into her hand, missing her touch. His hand reached up to caress her face, but the feeling of a sword on his arm stopped him. Glancing to his side, he could see the prince standing there with his sword almost digging into Erik's arm.

"Do not touch her." He warned the Phantom.

"Non je t'en prie. (No, please)" Christine pleaded with him, knowing it wouldn't be a good outcome. With movement as fast as a cheetah, Erik knocked the sword off his arm and grabbed his, pointing straight at the Prince. Gasps filled the church as guards appeared from every corner of the church, ready on command. The two guards that walked Christine to the church appeared and were almost standing behind Erik. Just as she thought they make attack, one put his finger to his mouth before dropping it. Looking away from the two guards, she focused on the two men in front of her. "Erik please…don't."

His eyes scanned around the room, searching for something. He knew he had every guard on their toes, waiting for Gustave's command to attack. He was outnumbered, but he didn't care. If this plan worked, it would shock all of England…and make him move up on the most wanted list. Out of nowhere, an arrow flew across the church to hit a guard standing right next to Gustave.

"Bàs mus gèilleadh! (Death before surrender!)" The words shouted through the church and chaos hit. Figures in black appeared out of the shadows and the fight began. People screamed as they tried to get out of the church, some running into guards or even Phantoms. Taking his sword again, the prince prepared his attacked against the Phantom.

"No! Don't!" But he wouldn't listen to Christine's cry. She only watch as the two men fought in the middle of the aisle. It was complete chaos and a bloody one too. Guards were falling down, wounded from either Arrow's arrows or a warrior's blade. One guard grabbed Christine to try and get her away from the fighting, but she refused.

"It's not safe, you're Highness!" He shouted above the fighting. "Your father has orders!"

"Erik! Tha e a-nis no gu bràth! (It's now or never!)" Tor's voice broke out and Christine quickly turned in the direction of Erik and the prince. The right hook and the prince was down on the ground, groaning in the pain. Hearing Tor's words, Erik quickly turned to face Christine. Seeing a guard with his hand on her arm, he signaled for Arrow. Without seeing Arrow, Christine jumped when an arrow hit the guard in the side. Releasing her arm, he fell to the ground next to her.

"Christine!" Hearing her father's voice, she glanced behind her to see him standing at the alter, his hand reached out for her.

"Christine…" Turning her back to her, his hand was reached to her as well. With both men waiting, she had a choice to make. If she chose her father, it meant a life in France with a man she doesn't love, away from her family here. A life as the French princess and then queen, a life as being just the King's wife. If she chose Erik, it meant a life with the man she loves and the father of her child. But he would be constantly hunted down, never would they be safe, always having to worry if he would ever come home from battle. That fear would be forever with her. Two different lives, one choice. _Twisted every way, what answer can I give?_ She glanced between both men, both of them waiting for her decision. _Am I to risk my life, to win the chance to live?_ She looked at Erik, the hope in his eyes. _Can I betray the man who once inspired my voice?_ Looking back at her father, the worry in his eyes. _Do I have any choice?_ She did have a choice and she made it. Slowly, her hand reached out to the take a hold of the man's; to take a hold of the life she would live…

 _To be continued..._

 **And this concludes _Highland Phantom._ Yes, this is the last chapter of the story. I just wanted to say thank you to all of you for staying with this story. It is you guys who motivate me to write these stories and I always love reading the reviews on them. As always, I am open to ideas for stories. Feel free to message me with any ideas or even requests you may want for a story. Anyway, thank you all again and I look forward to writing more stories for all of you. **

**Now do not panic. Yes I left a huge cliffhanger and said it's the end of the story, however, it's not completely the end of their story. _Highland Phantom_ is getting a squeal! It will be called _Highland King_ and it will be the newest story added to my collection. It is going to continue this story and I am not giving away any hints on whats going to happen in that story. So if you want to find out who Christine chooses, stay tune for _Highland King_**


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